


One Night

by Harryissuchalittleshit



Series: Phillip/Weasley [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Artie is pretty much adopted by the Wood siblings, Breaking Up & Making Up, Consensual Sex, Cousins, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family is hard, Found Family, Lucy is pregnant and driving everyone insane, Molly loves her sister and her cousins but can't stand them sometimes, Protective Siblings, Quidditch, Quidditch League knows how to party, Quidditch players, Sex, Sex in later chapters, Time Skips, Weasley!Family Drama, ed sheeran inspired, elopement, shop owners, sibling pregnancy, sibling relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:47:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 103,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28520367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harryissuchalittleshit/pseuds/Harryissuchalittleshit
Summary: One night can change everything.Molly and Artie are more than aware that one night can make or break a relationship. It's what happened to them. Five years after meeting and three years after calling it quits, they wake up in the same bed together, and to make matters worse, they find out that they got married in a drunken moment of idiocy.With a list of easily broken rules; meddling family members; a season of Quidditch games; and of course, sharing a bed; Molly and Artie quickly realize that maybe they should've just gotten the quick divorce.Or maybe not."Tell her that I love her, tell her that I need her, tell her that she's more than a One Night stand." - Ed Sheeran
Relationships: Albus Potter/Maggie MacMillan, Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Audrey Weasley/Percy Weasley, Evan Wood/Maria Jordan, James Sirius Potter/Katie Wood, Katie Bell/Oliver Wood, Lucy Weasley/Devon Jordan, Molly Weasley II/Arthur "Artie" Jacobs, Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley
Series: Phillip/Weasley [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823236
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue: One Night

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I said I would start posting this story in November, but the Nano happened and life got away from me. I always planned to come back to Molly and Lucy and their suitors though. This story takes place about four years after the epilogue of 'For the Dancing and the Dreaming', and while it isn't completely necessary to read the pervious story, there will be details mentioned from it. 
> 
> I will put a note before any chapter that has sex/smut in it, and later in the story there is a mention of miscarrying that will also be tagged with a trigger warning.

** Prologue: One Night  **

_Tell her that I love her, tell her that I need her_

_Tell her that she’s more than a one night stand_

By Ed Sheeran

Molly giggled as she took another shot, the tequila tasting like water as it burned down. She looked around the room at her cousins and friends and family that she honestly didn’t know why they were still around. It was well past midnight, well past bedtimes for children and their parents.

James was still in the middle of the room, a good host but horrible at keeping his drink down. He was always the first one drunk and the first one hungover. He loved throwing parties, and with Quidditch season about to start, there would be plenty.

“’Scuse me,” slurred a voice behind her and Molly turned her head to see the one person she had been avoiding for the last three years.

Her ex-boyfriend, Arthur ‘Artie’ Jacobs. She had love Artie like she had never loved someone before. He had been her perfect half, sweet and funny and smart. They had met during the worst year of her life, the year she spent in St. Mungo’s fighting for her life against the Leukemia she had thought she put into remission six years before.

“Artie?” said Molly as he grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey beside her and refilled his cup.

“Molly,” said Artie, before taking a large swing from his cup. “Thought that was yous.”

Molly felt herself turn red, though she wasn’t sure if it was a delayed reaction from the alcohol or from Artie’s words.

“It’s been a fair minute,” said Molly as she turned back to the table to pour herself another shot, she had to open the shop in the morning, but she knew that she would be able to sneak away for a nap at some point.

“You look as beautiful as always,” mumbled Artie, suddenly too close, his mouth at her ear and his body pressed against hers. Molly closed her eyes as a spark of warmth passed through her at the feel of their bodies pressed close.

Molly giggled nervously as Artie put a hand on her waist, she leaned back into him as she took another shot and the music flowed around her. She tried to remember the last time she had danced with Artie, sure that it had been after the Quidditch finals of his seventh year and her sixth.

She moved against his body and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck. Artie took a sip of his drink and set the cup down on the table, putting both of his hands on her waist now.

She knew he wasn’t a dancer, but that didn’t stop him when he was drunk.

~`~

Artie kissed Molly.

He pressed her against the wall, with one hand on her back pulling her closer and one in her long curly hair. She was just as he remembered, beautiful, sexy, and wearing something short and easy to take off.

He could still remember the feel of her underneath him the last time they were together, three long years ago.

How his life had changed in the last few years.

Though if he was going to be honest, not as much as Molly’s life had changed. He would never admit to it, especially to her, that he had kept up with her life. He had read all about her shop and had made James tell him all about her graduation speech, which he knew she had been worried about.

Artie heard her sigh into his mouth as a loud noise broke them apart just enough to get a whisper between them.

“We should go back out, shouldn’t we?” whispered Artie as he pressed his forehead against hers. He had missed this feeling over the last few years.

“I’d rather take you home,” said Molly as she pressed her lips to his jaw.

Artie closed his eyes, loving the feel of her lips on his skin. He shouldn’t have even come near her, his team would have his head for this. Never go back to your ex, never fall back into them.

But Molly wasn’t like that, she never had been like that.

Artie tipped her head back and kissed her deeply, he wanted her, needed her.

“Marry me,” he mumbled as he put his lips to her ear. “Marry me, Molly.”

She didn’t answer, just smiled his favorite devious drunk smile and pulled on his hands, dragging him out of the shadows. He stumbled behind her, too drunk to really know what he was doing, but she was in front of him and he missed the sight of her arse.

She led him to the front door and pulled him outside. Her arms going around his neck as he pressed her against the door, his mouth on hers.

“Fuck,” he mumbled as she took a stumbling step away from him, beckoning him with one finger. He laced his hand through hers and then felt the familiar pull of apparition.


	2. Second Hand News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! First intro of our star players Molly and Artie, with a couple of our other key players: Lucy, James, the older four Wood siblings, Oliver, and a few others.

** Chapter One: Second Hand News **

_One thing I think you should known_

_I ain’t going to miss you when you go_

By Fleetwood Mac

Molly slowly opened her eyes.

Her head hurt and her stomach was turning over and over. She could feel the light on her face and wanted nothing more than to be rid of it. She hated being hungover.

“Fuck,” mumbled the man beside her. Molly could see that they weren’t in her flat, this bedroom was much more spacious and there were barely any clothes on the floor. Molly’s own bedroom floor was always covered with clothes, even when she used to share with Lucy.

She turned over on her side and felt nausea rise in her throat. She drank way too much last night. Molly pushed it back down and pulled her legs up to her chest. She hated being hungover, so much.

“You’re awake aren’t you?” asked the man beside her.

“No,” croaked Molly, trying to keep herself from throwing up. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that the light would go away if she kept them closed long enough. She knew it wouldn’t work, but the thought made her feel better.

“C’mon, roll back over,” said the man, pulling on her shoulder gently. “Sitting up will help you.” He still had a bit of a slur in his voice, from drunkenness or sleep, she couldn’t tell. She was sure that her own voice was just as bad.

Molly let him pull her over and she sat up, feeling her stomach begin to settle. “Thank you,” mumbled Molly, as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. Her hair was an absolute mess, sticking out in all directions and weighing down her head.

“Least I could do,” said the man, and Molly turned to look at him, hoping to remember his name. She wasn’t good with names, not like Lucy was.

Molly had fucked up quite a bit in her life, but sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, three years after they broke up was quite the fuck up. She had cheated on Artie with her fellow Head Boy, and it had been the biggest mistake of her life. She had wanted to take it back the second she did it, but she couldn’t, and now she was without either boys.

“Artie,” whispered Molly, turning to look at him. He still had his freckles, the same long nose and big ears, his red hair was longer, shaggier than the last time Molly had seen him. He was wearing his glasses, a sight that had been rare to even Molly, and they had dated for almost two years. Molly was reminded of how handsome he was, even if he looked just as much a wreck as she did.

Artie turned to look at her, and she saw the little mole on his neck was still there. “Molly,” he said quietly, dropping his gaze and Molly suddenly felt like she was being x-rayed, she wasn’t wearing any clothes. Molly grabbed at the sheets and pulled them up high to cover herself.

Artie turned red and Molly knew she looked the same, she felt like she was on fire.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled and Molly looked away towards the end of the bed, where she could see her clothes in a heap on the floor. She was sure that he had helped her take them off last night.

“I blame James for this,” Molly told him as she slowly wrapped the top sheet around herself. “This is how Jason was conceived.”

“James isn’t in my bed though,” said Artie as he stood up and bent down to retrieve a pair of jeans on the floor. Molly couldn’t help watching him as he pulled his jeans on, and found a shirt to pull on. He was still as beautiful as the day she met him.

“Fair enough,” said Molly, as she looked longingly at her clothes on the floor.

“I’ll let you get dressed, I need some coffee,” said Artie as he left the bedroom.

Molly climbed out of bed and got dressed in last night’s clothes. She wanted to kick herself in the arse for not wearing a more comfortable dress the night before, but looking at herself in the closet mirror reminded her of how good she looked. Even if now her makeup was smeared, and her eyes looked puffy and streaky. Her hair was even worse than she thought as she stared at it in the mirror, the hair spray and products she used last night were not going to help her as she tried to smooth it back down again.

“You can do this,” Molly whispered to herself, as she found her wand and did her best to fix her makeup. She didn’t like to tap her face with her wand, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She turned it to her hair, but it did not do any help, in fact, it made her hair worse.

She went to the door and found her shoes next to the frame, and tried to remember how she got her feet into them. She picked them up and was hit with the smell of coffee and toast as she walked out into the tiny hallway that led into the kitchen.

“That smells wonderful,” Molly said as she dropped her heels on the floor next to where her bag was. “Can I have some please?”

“You should probably go,” said Artie, as he turned his back to her and grabbed a mug from the cabinet by the stove. “I have practice in a half hour and still need to get ready.”

Molly watched as he poured her a mug full and added sugar and cream, just how she liked it. Three years later and he still knew how she liked her coffee.

“Okay,” said Molly, then took a sip of her coffee. “Sorry about all of this.”

“Yeah, no problem,” said Artie as Molly picked up her shoes and bag and headed to the door. Once out in the hallway, Molly headed down the stairs and outside. She carefully walked down the sidewalk and into the alley to disapparate.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes and felt his head begin to pound.

He needed coffee and a burger. He needed practice to be canceled and for James to be in a worst state than him. Artie needed his head to not explode on him.

On his other side, the alarm clock went off and with a groan he grabbed his wand and turned it off. He grabbed his glasses and pushed them on as he sat up. It was then that he noticed the mess of red curly hair beside him. He would know that mane of hair anywhere, he had _loved_ that mane of red, curly, wild hair.

He was sure it was just his hungover state, but he couldn’t help but smile as she opened her eyes. He forgot how pretty they were when the sunlight hit them just right, like pools of molten amber. Her freckles stood out brighter on her skin in the sunlight too, something that he missed.

Seeing her in his bed hurt, just as being without her hurt him every day.

“Fuck,” Artie mumbled to himself as Molly rolled over and he got the full sight of her.

He missed her so much.

“You’re awake aren’t you?” asked Artie as Molly rolled back over and pulled her legs up to her chest. He knew what that meant, she felt sick. He saw quite a bit of her sickness back when he spent time with her at St. Mungo’s.

“No,” said Molly and Artie wanted to laugh, she was so funny sometimes.

“C’mon, roll back over,” Artie told her as her pulled on her shoulder to roll her back over. He tried to avoid looking at her body, instead focusing on her face as well as he could. “Sitting up will help you.” He almost tacked a ‘Love’ on the end, he had wanted to so badly, it felt like breaking an old habit.

“Thank you,” said Molly quietly as she sat up. The sheets falling off of her chest completely as she pushed her hair off of her shoulders. It was more of a mess than he thought as it was sticking up almost a full foot in the air. He thought it was funny, he had never seen her hair this long.

“Least I could do,” said Artie, and he felt Molly’s weight shift as she turned to look at him for the first time.

The truth was, Artie had fucked up so much in his life he couldn’t keep count anymore. But Molly had been his biggest mistake, and he had loved every second of it. That was until she cheated on him with her Head Boy and broke his heart. After that he had stopped dating completely, only finding someone for a quick shag.

“Artie,” whispered Molly, and he looked at her again, and was struck by how beautiful she was. He needed to get out of here.

“Molly,” whispered Artie as he felt himself turn red. She still had not noticed that the sheets had fallen off her shoulders.

He felt the sheets pull away and thought that this was the right time to get himself some coffee. He knew that she would want some too.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as something to say as Molly looked away from him. He needed to get up and walk around, sitting in bed next to Molly was starting to become too much.

“I blame James for this,” said Molly as she began taking more and more of his sheets to wrap around herself. “This is how Jason was conceived.”

“James isn’t in my bed though,” said Artie as he stood up and bent down to retrieve his jeans off the floor. He could feel Molly’s eyes on him as pulled his jeans on, and it made him feel self-conscious, it had been so long since he felt her eyes watching him, knowing him.

“Fair enough,” said Molly, as she looked away from him and he saw her clothes on the floor. He was sure that he had been the one to pull them off of her last night, not that he could remember.

“I’ll let you get dressed, I need some coffee,” said Artie as he left the bedroom.

He closed the door behind him and let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He then went into the kitchen and got started on making himself a pot of coffee and some toast, he was going to need it if he wanted to get through practice today.

He couldn’t believe what he’d done, what they did.

He heard the door to his bedroom open and close, then a moment later Molly appeared in front of him with her heels in her hand. He remembered that she seemed taller last night, but part of him had been sure that it was her hair.

“That smells wonderful,” said Molly as Artie heard a thump as she dropped her heels on the floor beside her purse. “Can I have some please?”

“You should probably go,” Artie told her even as he turned his back to her and grabbed a mug from the cabinet by the stove. “I have practice in a half hour and still need to get ready.”

This wasn’t a complete lie, even if it felt like one. He did have practice, he did need to get ready, but he didn’t want Molly to leave. The truth was, he wanted to take her back to bed, and not leave until the next morning.

He felt Molly watching him again as he poured her a mug full and added sugar and cream, just how he knew she liked it. Three years later and he still knew how she liked her coffee. He knew exactly how she liked her tea too.

“Okay,” said Molly, as Artie watched her take a sip of her coffee, then drink the whole cup in few gulps. “Sorry about all of this.”

“Yeah, no problem,” said Artie as he watched Molly set down her cup and grab her shoes and purse. He continued to watch her as she walked out the door, and he finally took his first sip of coffee as the door was shut firmly behind her.

“No problem at all,” Artie mumbled to himself as he liberally spread butter and jam on his toast and stuff a piece into his mouth. “Merlin I’m screwed.”

~`~

Molly’s flat wasn’t very much, it was small and crowded and they used it for storage for the shop. In the living room, was her sewing machine and a rack of clothes that they weren’t ready to put in the store yet. Her kitchen wasn’t anything to write home to, Molly didn’t really cook much, though not for lack of trying. She learned the hard way that it was hard to cook for just yourself.

Her bedroom was a wreck, clothes everywhere, shoes piled up in a corner, and her blankets on the floor.

Molly took a searing hot shower and scrubbed her face and body. She could feel all of the knots in her back and shoulders come undone as she stood in the hot water, feeling relaxed for the first time since she woke up.

Once she was clean and dressed, Molly tied back her hair and walked into the kitchen. Lucy stood leaning against her counter with Molly’s favorite mug in her hands, filled to the brim with tea. Molly took the cup from her sister before Lucy could take a sip.

“If you have tea now,” recited Molly, holding the mug out of Lucy’s reach, “then you can’t have any later.”

This was their usual morning antics, at least it had been for the last few months. Ever since Lucy had announced that she and her husband Devon were pregnant, Molly had been doing her own reading and research to keep Lucy on the straight and narrow. Molly loved her sister and brother-in-law, but she knew that Devon would allow Lucy to stray if she wanted to.

“I’ll be fine,” said Lucy with a roll of her eyes, “I’m only sixteen weeks, Molly.”

“That’s my future niece or nephew growing in there,” Molly told Lucy as she pinched Lucy’s side. Lucy swatted Molly’s hand away and giggled as Molly pushed forward and rubbed the small bump on Lucy’s stomach. Molly couldn’t wait for Lucy to have her baby and to be an auntie.

“What happened to you last night?” asked Lucy as Molly began drinking her tea. Lucy had made it just the way Molly liked it, two sugars no milk.

“I got very drunk and went home with some guy,” Molly told her as Lucy put her head on Molly’s shoulder. This was always a little difficult, as they were the same height, but neither of them minded too much. “I don’t remember much else.”

“What was his name?” asked Lucy as Molly took another sip of her tea. “Or did you just leave him like the last one?”

“It was Artie,” said Molly quietly, looking down at her tea mug. “Three years later and I can’t get away from him.”

“You wanted to marry him Molly,” Lucy told her, and Molly sighed and pulled away from Lucy.

“Well obviously that isn’t going to work out,” said Molly as there was a loud crashing noise from below them. “Libby’s here.”

~`~

Artie walked into the locker room and was immediately hit by a wave of noise. His head was still pounding, even after his three cups of coffee and standing in the shower for fifteen minutes. Part of him still just wanted to throw up and go back to bed.

He should’ve gone and picked up a hangover potion, but their coach, _the_ Oliver Wood, made it clear that they weren’t to be late to practice if they wanted to play in games this season. It was quite the struggle for Artie, as he was always running five minutes behind it seemed.

“Morning!” yelled Evan Wood, their Seeker, cheerfully and Artie wanted to strangle him. He was sure that Evan had left early the night before, his wife Maria was about six months pregnant with their third child and Evan hated to be without her. “How was _your_ night?”

There was something in the way Evan asked Artie that set off something in his brain. He was sure that Evan was teasing him about something, but Artie couldn’t quite place it.

Artie was used to being the butt of the joke anyways, he had been deemed as the youngest and most immature of the team, even though two of their new reserves were just out of Hogwarts. He had thought that he was fun and spontaneous, but it turned out that being twenty-one with no one in his life and always down to have a good time made him immature.

“I’m tired and still have a hangover,” said Artie as he felt a slap on his back.

“Ugh,” said James Potter, one third of the Chaser trio, from behind him as he squeezed Artie’s shoulder. “My head is pounding.”

“And here’s the arse we can all thank for our hangovers!” yelled Avery Hansen, one of the Beaters, as he walked over to James and Artie. “You better have some hangover potion for us.”

James let out a loud sigh as he pulled a few mini bottles from his pockets, handing then out to everyone who had come to the party last night. Artie gratefully gulped down the disgusting tasting liquid and within a minute he felt the pounding in his head disappear.

“Alright everyone!” yelled Oliver as he walked into the changing room. “Let’s get changed and out on our brooms, I want us running drills in five minutes.”

Artie got changed into his practice kit and headed out with everyone else. Oliver always gave them the same drills to do for the first twenty or so minutes to get them warmed up and loose. Artie began to feel more relax as he got into the air and had the Quaffle passed to him.

Flying always made him feel better, when everything was going wrong he could find peace on his broom. When his father left, when his mother passed away, and when his brother ran away, he jumped on his broom and flew until his hands were numb and he was cold.

The only time he didn’t jump on a broom was after he broke up with Molly.

Instead, he had crawled into his bed and cried until he couldn’t anymore. Then he went flying until he couldn’t feel anymore. Molly had wrecked him in more ways than one, but the first six months after they had broken up had been the hardest for him, he had only been able to make himself fly during games and practice.

“Alright Jacobs!” yelled Oliver from his own broom, “I want you in the south hoops today, let’s give Milton a good time.”

Artie flew down to the south hoops and flew around them in a figure eight motion. He wished that he was on the north side, the Wood twins always scored on the north side while James and the reserves, Elizabeth and Jacob Wents, scored on the south side.

All Artie had to do was keep an eye out for bludgers and on the rare chance that James, Elizabeth, or Jacob got down to his side then he had to block their goal. He really just wanted to focus on guarding the hoops, but now all he could think about was his morning with Molly.

It had been such a shock to wake up next to her, to see her in person for the first time in two years.

“Oi! Jacobs!” yelled a voice behind him, and as Artie turned his head, he felt a bludger hit him in the back of the head.

It was worse than when he got struck by lightning.

~`~

Molly and Lucy headed downstairs together, and found Libby Madley, their favorite and most clumsy employee. Libby was a sweet girl who meant well, and Molly and Lucy adored her, but her clumsiness did not help her around the shop.

Libby had worked for them since they opened two years ago, mostly in the summers and during her Christmas holidays, until she graduated last June and she came on full time. Molly loved having another set of hands to help open and close the shop, and it allowed for Molly and Lucy to take lunch together. They also had a handful of part time employees, but none of them were as helpful as Libby.

Molly opened the door to the shop and found Libby sitting on the floor, repacking the boxes she knocked over. Lucy stepped out from behind Molly and with a wave of her wand, all of the boxes repacked themselves and stacked back up again. Molly wasn’t as good at household charms as Lucy, which Molly thought was funny because Lucy almost failed charms class during their fifth year.

“I’m so sorry,” said Libby as she got to her feet and almost fell over from the weight of the purse on her right shoulder. Libby always seemed to be in the process of falling over, she was constantly catching herself on shelves and boxes and counters, and falling over when they couldn’t take her weight.

“It’s okay Libby,” said Lucy in her calming voice, the one she cultivated just for Libby. “They weren’t stacked very well to begin with.”

“I should’ve been watching where I was going,” said Libby and Molly could hear the beginning pitch of hysteria. Libby was also a very anxious person, she was often about to break out in tears, and Molly and Lucy had perfected the way they comforted her.

“And everything is okay,” Molly told her as she began redirecting Libby out to the main store. “Why don’t you go and open the store up.”

Libby began calming down as she walked out into the front part of the store, grabbing the keys to unlock the front door as she went. Lucy followed after her while Molly went to the backdoor. Sitting on the top step was her mail and the store’s mail, she picked them all up along with the _Daily Prophet_.

Molly didn’t really care for letters, but she always read them. During the years of her sickness, of her stays at St. Mungo’s, letters from her friends and family had meant everything to her. They had kept her at school, even when she wasn’t there with them.

She tucked the Prophet under her arm as she leafed through her mail, a letter from Nana Molly, a letter from Rose, another one from Hugo, two from old dorm mates, there was the rent bill, the bills from a few of their suppliers, and a letter from the Ministry. Molly paused in the door frame to the store and opened the letter from the Ministry.

_Dear Mrs. Molly Jacobs,_

_We are very pleased to hear and be a part of your nuptials. We have enclosed Mr. Arthur Jacobs and Mrs. Molly Jacobs wedding license. If either of you have any questions, please send a letter to the Department of Magical Law and Licenses in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, or visit us at any time during the day._

_We would like to say that while we are open during the night, to please not come in intoxicated and demanding of licenses again._

_Sincerely,_

_Aurora Hopkins_

Molly sat down at the desk they kept in the backroom, and she set down the rest of the envelopes as she reread the Ministry’s letter over and over again. She couldn’t believe that she had done something so stupid, and so immature. Already she could hear her father berating her for such a rash and foolish decision.

Not that her father, or even Lucy, should really be telling her off for eloping.

“Molly!” said Lucy as she came back into the backroom. “What are you still doing back here?”

Lucy took the letter out of Molly’s hand and read through it quickly, before she set it down, then picked it up again and reread it. Molly looked up at her sister and waited for her to say something.

“Well,” said Lucy quietly, “this is unexpected.”

Molly rolled her eyes, “thanks Lucy.”

“I just mean,” started Lucy as she began to pace, “that this isn’t the worst situation we’ve been in. You and Artie just need to get a quick divorce before anyone finds out.”

“Yeah,” agreed Molly as she unrolled the Prophet to reveal the front page. “Except that we made the front page, Lucy.”

“Oh shit!” said Lucy, as she threw her hands into the air.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes and felt as if he was hungover all over again.

His head was pounding worse than when he woke up first thing in the morning. He had been hit by bludgers before, but never in the back of the head. He groaned and tried to roll over, only to get sick as he moved.

“Gross Jacobs!” said Elizabeth as she took a step back into her husband Jacob. “Don’t throw up on my shoes!”

“Not like he can help it, Liz,” said James as he bent down to help Artie to feet.

“Not yet,” mumbled Artie as he laid on his side. The pounding in his head was growing more intense and he was sure that he had a concussion.

After a few moments, in which his teammates all argued above him, Artie finally sat up and allowed James and Jacob to help him to his feet. Just outside of their circle, he could see Oliver talking to his oldest daughter and James’ wife, Katie, along with their team Healer Olivia Fields.

“What are you doing?” asked Olivia as she rushed over to the three of them. “I told you not to let him get up!”

“Oh,” said James as he let go of Artie’s arm and let Jacob take most of his weight, throwing them both off kilter. “Sorry Liv.”

Olivia put a hand to her forehead and sighed, walking over to take Artie’s other arm. “Let’s get you inside, I’m sure you have a concussion.”

The three of them slowly made their way to the changing room, followed by Katie and Oliver.

“Tell them to get back to practicing,” Oliver told Jacob as he sat down beside Artie and kept a hand on his back for Artie to lean on. “Katie I got this.”

Katie rolled her eyes, “this is my job dad, I’m in charge of the players.”

“I’m fine,” Artie told them as he sat up straight, “just let Liv look me over and I’ll be right out.”

“You should probably go home Artie,” said Katie softer than he ever heard her speak, “if it’s not too serious then you can stay and watch, but you should probably take the rest of the day off.”

“You really think I would stay even if I was fine?” Artie asked her, knowing that she already knew the answer.

“No,” said Katie with a sigh, as she began walking to the door of the changing room. “Though I did expect better from you Artie.”

She left and Liv pushed Oliver out of the changing room behind her daughter. Artie was quite used to Liv’s pushiness, they had both been Hufflepuffs and Liv had been made a prefect the year that Artie had started at Hogwarts. She was no nonsense and she had hated Artie back when he started school, now though, Artie wouldn’t trust anyone else with his injuries.

“Alright,” said Liv as she held Artie’s face with one hand and her wand with the other. “I’m going to shine a light in your eyes, but I want you to look me in the eyes and try to ignore the light.”

This wasn’t the first time that Artie ever had any sort of physical exam, when he was in St. Mungo’s, he had different physical exams twice daily. He remembered that Molly would always come and sit in his room and watch him while Healer Jones looked him over. She used to tease him every day when Healer Jones would test his reflexes.

He sat and listened to Liv as she explained everything she was doing as she did it. He went through the motions as she went through each test.

“You have a minor concussion, if you start to feel dizzy or get sick again go to St. Mungo’s immediately, if you need help getting there then call me and I’ll come right over,” Liv told him as she stood up, “or I’m sure your new bride wouldn’t mind helping you.”

Artie looked up at her, he had no clue what she was talking about.

“What do you mean by ‘new bride’?” asked Artie, as Liv grabbed the _Daily Prophet_ that someone left on one of the benches.

She handed him the newspaper and right on the front page in bold letters was the headline:

**Puddlemere Quidditch Player Weds Weasley Daughter**

_By Anamika Nott-Weasley_

_In a midnight ceremony at the Ministry of Magic in the_ _Department of Magical Law and Licenses in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, well known Quidditch player Arthur Daniel ‘Artie’ Jacobs and Weasley’s Witchy Wears, a Diagon Alley shop, co-owner Molly Abigail Weasley were married. They were surrounded by Puddlemere team members and friends and families of the young couple as they exchanged vows in the late night ceremony._

_The couple have had an on and off relationship over the years, starting when they first met when they were both in St. Mungo’s. Artie had been admitted into the teen ward after being struck by lightning during a November Quidditch game in his sixth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while Molly had been admitted in August to fight Leukemia, which she has suffered from on and off since the age of three._

_The couple had a brief breakup during Molly’s seventh year, but it seems that all is forgiven with their nuptials. The pair were said to be very happy and close during the ceremony by close friends. Not much else could be understood as it is to our understanding that everyone was highly intoxicated._

_We at the Prophet would like to give our congratulations to the happy couple and wish them the best of luck in the next step of their relationship._

Below the headline was a picture of Artie and Molly wrapped around one another as they stood in what had to be a Ministry department. He could already hear the teasing from the team about this.

He was sure that the only one he wouldn’t hear anything from would be James, as he knew why Artie and Molly broke up to begin with. Artie remembered the day he came into practice after they broke up, James had pulled him aside and had listened to him when Artie explained what had happened between the two of them.

“Liv I don’t remember getting married to Molly,” Artie whispered, as he stared down at the picture of him and Molly. Part of him couldn’t look away from Molly’s face, she looked giddy and overjoyed as she smiled up at Artie.

Liv had known Molly too, she was only a year younger than Artie, and Liv had been a sixth year when Molly had been a first year.

Liv looked down at him and Artie put the _Prophet_ on the bench beside him. He was screwed, they were screwed, and there was no way they could get out of this easily.

“I’m going home,” said Artie as he got to his feet, “I need to think about how my life is ruined.”

“Your life is not ruined Artie,” said Liv as she lead him to the changing room door. “You just made a mistake, screw what the press thinks.”

Artie nodded, not really listening to Liv, he wanted to go home, needed to go home.

But first, he was going to have to see Molly again.


	3. I Think He Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artie and Molly talk about their situation and figure out what they want to do about it. We get our first appearance of Percy and some wise words from Lucy.

** Chapter Two: I Think He Knows **

By Taylor Swift

_I whisper in the dark,_

_Where we gonna go?_

Molly sighed as Lucy continued pacing back and forth in front of her, this was how they dealt with their issues. One of them paced, the other fretted, sometimes Lucy cried and sometimes Molly bit her nails, either way they found a solution.

Except this time, Molly didn’t see a solution. Artie and her had made it on the front page of the _Prophet_ , they were immortalized in black and white ink.

“You’ll just have to play nice,” said Lucy, as she stopped pacing in front of Molly. “Do you think Artie will agree?”

“I don’t know,” said Molly as she looked down at her lap, where the paper was still opened to the front page.

She actually liked the picture of her and Artie wrapped around one another. She looked so happy and Artie was looking at her as if she was the only person that mattered to him in the whole world. There was something magical about them, about that picture.

Not even for the first time in that hour, she wished that she could remember what had happened the night before.

“You’ll need to convince him Molly,” said Lucy as she grabbed the _Prophet_ from Molly and began rereading the article again. “I can’t believe Mia wrote this.”

“She gets paid to write that shit,” Molly told Lucy as Lucy began pacing again. Molly couldn’t help but be drawn to her pacing, it was hypnotizing watching her walk and rub her baby bump. “It’s not like Louis or her agree with it.”

“I know,” said Lucy as she sighed and sat down on one of the boxes on the floor. “I know, I know. It just hurts to read this.”

“She could’ve made it way worse,” said Molly, as she opened the other letters addressed to her.

“Your right,” said Lucy as she riffled through the Prophet, Molly only read the _Prophet_ for the fashion articles and the birth announcements, her favorite sections. Lucy liked to read the _Prophet_ all the way through, even the Quidditch section. “You know that mum and dad know about this already and dad will come over here on his lunch break.”

Molly sighed and shoved her mail away from her to the corner of the desk. She completely forgot about her parents, they were going to kill her. They had been upset when they found out that Lucy and Devon had gotten married before their seventh year. That had been last year when Devon’s parent had let slip that they were married.

“A midnight ceremony in the Department of Magical Law and Licenses,” said Lucy with a giggle, “I can’t believe I wasn’t there.”

“I wish you had been,” said Molly as she put her head down on the desk, “I never would’ve done it if you were there. Who in their right mind gets married in a drunken fling?”

“You and Artie apparently,” said Lucy distractedly, and Molly knew that she had lost her to her newspaper. Lucy was never much help once she started reading something.

Molly grabbed her mail and read through her letters, stuffing them back into their envelopes when she was done with them. She then filed away the bills in Lucy’s desk, using the system that they had set up, which had been inspired by their father’s accounting system.

When she heard the ringing of the bell over the front door, she used it as an excuse to get out of her seat. She needed something to do, even if it was to help a customer or fold sweaters or lint roll the dresses. It was about to be Quidditch season, so she wanted to change up the window display, but part of her knew it was a day or two early.

She needed to not think about Artie, about how she was married to her ex-boyfriend, about how she had fucked up both her life and his. She should have never made out with Carson Smith in a broom closet right before the Christmas holidays in her seventh year. But she knew that she did the right thing in telling him, as much as it hurt, as hard as it was to tell him, she did it.

Molly had been scared, she had been worried that he was going to break up with her, that he had found someone new. It turned out that Molly had nothing to worry about, just that she had been the one to find someone new, she had been the one to break his heart.

She broke herself in the process.

“Molly?” said a voice behind her and Molly turned around to see the very person she didn’t want to see.

“Hello Artie,” said Molly, looking up at him again that morning.

~`~

Artie knew that Molly and her twin sister Lucy owned a clothing store somewhere on Diagon Alley. But he hadn’t been down the street other than to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies in the last three years.

He knew that Molly’s father and uncle owned the joke shop on the far side of the street and didn’t ever want to run the risk of running into them. There were too many people on Diagon Alley that knew Molly, had grown up with her, or had known her since she was born. He would never be on any of their sides, they would always think of him as the boy who broke her heart.

They would never know that it had been the other way around. That Molly had been the one to hurt Artie, that she had been the one to start it all.

It had been easier to find Molly’s shop than he thought it would be. He was drawn to the window display red and gold and brown and orange with the hint of yellow and green, it reminded him of autumn at Hogwarts. It reminded him of the early morning practices that the Hufflepuff team used to have of the sun rising above them and the leaves glistening in the morning dew.

It was a display that would make anyone stop and look, it would make them turn and want to come in, it was just like Molly.

Artie would always remember the day he met Molly, she had been watching Dr. Who with the utmost attention. He had seen her from behind, in one of her hats that he would see her in for the next six months, it had been yellow for Hufflepuff.

She had been pretty even with no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. It had been a weird sight to him, but he had felt like he had hidden the surprise pretty well. She had never called him out on it, at least not while they had been dating.

He remembered how bright she seemed, even with the bags under her eyes, the unnatural paleness of her skin, the lack of shockingly red hair. She was still bright now, but now she had color in her life, in her body again.

Artie took a deep breath and opened the door to Weasley’s Wizarding Wears. Stepping inside he was hit by the smell of vanilla and cinnamon, what Molly always smelled like. Inside it was bright and colorful, with no sense of organization.

Part of him hurt to see Molly in this shop, she was in every sweater, every dress, every pair of shoes and pants, every necklace and bracelet. He knew that Molly was the one to put this shop together, while Lucy was behind the scenes making sure everything worked. It was how the pair of them always operated.

He could see a girl he didn’t know at the front counter, she looked young, as if she had recently graduated from Hogwarts. She was reading a copy of _Witch Weekly_ while a pile of t-shirts folded themselves in front of her. He was sure that she was hired to give a little extra help so Molly and Lucy could get a day off, or be able to spend a bit of time together.

He didn’t see Lucy anywhere, not that he was sure he would recognize her anyways. Lucy had been hard to recognize even when he saw her every day, she was constantly changing her style on him. Every time he got used to one thing, she changed it on him, except for her glasses, those were always the same.

He could spot those clunky black glasses anywhere, it had been helpful in him avoiding both of the sisters.

Artie cast a good long look around the shop, spotting a head of curly red hair over by a display of sweaters in a far corner. Molly had obviously showered and changed her clothes in the few hours they had been apart, she was wearing a yellow blouse with a dark blue skirt that moved every time she turned. He could hear her bracelets clunking against one another as she moved her arms, and even from the distance, he could see the five rings she always wore on her right hand.

He had given her two of them, and his stomach gave a small leap of joy to see she still wore them. He started to make his way through the maze of clothes to get to her, stopping when he was right behind her.

“Molly?” he said, as she turned around to face him. She was wearing no makeup now, and he could see each and every freckle on her face.

“Hello Artie,” she said in a dejected tone, and Artie was suddenly reminded of why he was here to begin with.

“I take it you’ve heard then?” asked Artie, as behind them, the door chimed again as someone came in.

“Molly Abigail Weasley, you have some explaining to do!” yelled a man that Artie would always be able to pick out in a crowd, a man who scared him more than anyone else in the world. The man was scarier than Voldemort to Artie, one who had taken Artie in and had been disappointed in Artie more than once.

That man was Percy Weasley, Molly’s father and now Artie’s father-in-law.

~`~

Molly stared at her father, he was incredibly red in the face, not that this was an unusual look for him, but she knew that his blood pressure was higher than it should’ve ever been.

“Dad, calm down!” yelled Molly without thinking, and she could almost see her father starting to have a heart attack. “Take a deep breath,” she told him calmly as she walked through the racks of clothes to him.

“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down,” said Percy as he held up the _Daily Prophet_ to Molly’s face. “First your sister and Devon, now you and that stupid boy who broke your heart? What’s next, you’re going to run off like your cousin Victoire and your mother and I will have to track you down?”

“No,” said Molly as she took the _Prophet_ out of her father’s hands. “It’s not like that, daddy.”

She knew that it was a cheap trick, but her father still liked it when she and Lucy called him ‘daddy’ or ‘papa’, it always reminded him of when they were little. She took Percy’s hands in her own and squeezed them softly while taking a deep even breath and letting it out slowly. It wasn’t that her father got angry often, it was just that his last Healer’s checkup hadn’t gone over as well as they all hoped. He had high blood pressure and was at risk for a heart attack or stroke.

“I made a mistake dad,” said Molly, as she glanced over her shoulder to see Lucy dragging Artie into the back room. “Artie and I need to talk and make a decision about what we’re going to do about it. I promise everything will be okay.”

The color in Percy’s face was starting to become normal, but Molly could tell that he was still upset. “Your mother and I were very upset when we read about this in the morning _Prophet_ , Molly. Do you not remember how much he hurt you? Do you know what this could mean for your business, your reputation?”

“Yes dad,” lied Molly, because the truth was she had been trying not to think about how she was married. “I need to talk to Artie still, I just found out about this when I got the mail when we opened. I don’t remember anything that happened after I got to the party last night.”

“Not what I want to hear,” said Percy annoyed, but Molly could hear the calmness in his voice. “Please let us know what decision the two of you come up with.”

“I’m sure we’ll just get divorced before it goes on to long,” Molly told him and she watched as his expression changed to disappointment.

“I don’t want that for you Molly,” said Percy quietly as he squeezed her hands. “I hope that the two of you can work this out, but I’ll understand if you can’t.”

“Thanks dad,” said Molly as she smiled up at him. He could be upset and disappointed, but Molly wasn’t going to let her possible divorce keep her down.

“We’ll see you for dinner tomorrow night, correct?” asked Percy as he grabbed his newspaper from the shelf behind Molly. “Bring Artie with you if the two of you decide to see this out.”

“Yes, dad,” said Molly, then for safe measure, she gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek before showing him out of the shop.

“That was scary,” said Libby from behind her copy of _Witch Weekly_ and the large stack of folded shirts. “Is your dad always like that?”

“No,” said Molly as she headed back to the store room, “but you’ll be applying to work with him if you don’t put away your magazine and get back to work.”

~`~

Artie felt dumbstruck as Molly went up to her father, but was quickly snapped out of it as he felt something or _someone_ yank on his arm. He turned his head to see Lucy, and let her lead him into the backroom of the shop. She looked different to him, but in a way he couldn’t quite place.

Her long dark red hair was clipped back out of her face and she was wearing her glasses, but they looked slimmer and less bulky than they used to be. She was wearing a loose fitting shirt and a pair of jeans, with a large flannel shirt thrown over the top. He was sure it had to be Devon’s.

Artie had liked Lucy, she was sweet and nice and she had a good taste in music. She also liked talking Quidditch with him, though that was probably more of Devon’s influence than Lucy on her own. Either way, Lucy had been nice to him when Molly and he dated, they even went out on a few double dates, where Artie and Devon had been more of third and fourth wheels than anything.

Artie had missed Devon, but he wasn’t surprised that he took Molly’s side in the breakup, how could he when he was married to Lucy, Molly’s twin sister.

But Devon had started to feel like a brother to him, something he missed after Iggy had runaway.

“I can’t believe you,” hissed Lucy as she let go of his arm. Artie stumbled and almost fell into a stack of haphazardly placed boxes in the middle of the room. “What do you think you’re doing just showing up here?”

“I came to talk to Molly,” Artie whispered, as he stood up straight. “It turns out we got married last night.”

“I know,” said Lucy in a tone that was much more bite than bark. “It’s on the front page of the bloody _Prophet_ Artie!”

Artie turned his head as Molly came into the room, smoothing down the front of her shirt. “Calm down, Lucy, you know you’re not supposed to get too worked up,” said Molly as she wrapped an arm around Lucy’s middle and lead her to the one chair in the room.

“The baby is fine Molly,” snapped Lucy as she let Molly push her down into the seat. “Stop fretting over me and look after yourself for once.”

Artie snorted, he really couldn’t help himself, Molly and Lucy always played this little game where they both worried over each other and never took care of themselves in the process. He was sure that Devon was stepping in quite a bit with Lucy now that she was….

“You’re pregnant?” asked Artie and Lucy rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I shouldn-“

“She’s due in late April,” said Molly with a smile in her voice, “she’s sixteen weeks now.”

“You know what you need to do Molly,” said Lucy, ignoring Molly and turning to look at Artie. “Go talk to Aunt Hermione and get this sorted out. There is no way that this marriage is binding.”

Artie sighed, he forgot what it was like to be in the same room with Molly and Lucy; they took up the whole conversation with no interjections. He sat down on one of the boxes as they circled one another with their words, their arguments.

“You know that Aunt Hermione isn’t going to be any help,” said Molly as she leaned up against the desk that Lucy was sitting in front of. “She’ll be so embarrassed of us.”

“I’m embarrassed of the two of you,” said Lucy as outside there was the chime of the bell over the door.

Lucy got up out of her seat and went out front, and Artie heard her greet the customer with a completely different tone than she had been using with him and Molly.

“I’m sorry about Lucy,” said Molly as she stood up. “And for my father, though I don’t think you were all that surprised by him.”

“He never liked me,” Artie told her, as he followed behind Molly as she led them upstairs to the flat over the shop. “He made it clear when we first met.”

“That’s not true,” said Molly as they reached the top of the stairs. “Mum and dad really liked you, they were very upset when we broke up.”

“Molly,” said Artie as they walked into the tiny, messy kitchen. Artie knew that Molly couldn’t cook, not from a lack of effort, her mother and grandmother and cousins had all tried to help her learn, but it was more from her inability to pay attention to a single task that didn’t interest her. It helped explained why her flat was so messy and disorganized, she probably spent most of her waking hours in the shop below. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know,” said Molly and Artie watched as she started to make tea. It was the one skill that she had perfected, Molly could make tea and cereal and toast, which was about it. The rest of her meals were either made for her or take out, at least that was what it looked like. Random take out containers and cartons littered the counters and dirty plates and Tupperware that didn’t match filled her sink. Artie had forgotten how messy and disorganized she was in her personal life. “To be honest, I wish everyone would stop asking me and just let me figure this out.”

“Well I’m the one person who should be asking you about this,” said Artie as he sat down in the one chair that didn’t have books or clothes piled on it. It was most likely the only chair that Molly used.

“Well what’s your grand plan then Artie?” asked Molly as the tea kettle began to whistle. She poured them both a cup of tea and handed him his, while she set her’s down on the table and moved the clothes off one of the chairs and onto another.

“I just want to get a quick divorce and then we can move on and never have to see each other again,” Artie told her as he reached for the sugar in front of him and added three spoonful’s to his cup. “You have an aunt that can do that for us?”

“Yes,” said Molly, as she added a single spoonful of sugar to her own cup. “Aunt Hermione will have this taken care of within the hour if we get going.”

Neither of them moved to go though, both of them stayed sitting and nursing their cups of tea. Artie was surprised with himself, maybe it was the concussion, or maybe it was because a part of him didn’t want to end this.

“We could try,” whispered Molly, not even looking at him, instead down at her cup of tea. “I know it sounds crazy, but maybe we could make it work.”

Artie looked at her, she looked so small and scared, something he had only ever seen once. She hadn’t looked this way when they first met, when she was facing chemo, not even when she came back to Hogwarts after being put into remission.

The only time he had ever seen her this scared, this upset had been when they broke up.

“There’ll have to be some rules,” countered Artie, though he was sure that she expected this.

“Of course,” said Molly, looking up at him for the first time since they both sat down.

Artie felt the tension in his shoulders release and he couldn’t help but smile at her.

Maybe this would actually work out.

~`~

Molly waved her wand and watched as her clothes began packing themselves into her old Hogwarts trunk. Lucy sat on her bed pretending to read Libby’s copy of _Witch Weekly_ that she had left behind after they had closed up for the day. They ended up getting busy in the afternoon after lunch, as they usually did on Wednesdays.

“I don’t know how I feel about this Molly,” said Lucy as she put down the magazine and looked over at Molly. “Why did he agree if he doesn’t want to be with you?”

“I don’t know,” said Molly as she went to the bathroom with her old shower caddie and began packing up her toiletries. “It was my idea, and I thought he was going to shut it down, but I guess he also didn’t want to go to the Ministry.”

“He probably thinks that Aunt Hermione is too intimidating to deal with,” said Lucy as she rolled over onto her stomach. “Are you going to bring him to dinner then?”

Molly looked up at herself in the mirror, she looked tired and worn out, it had been a long day with more trouble than she wanted or expected.

“He’ll have to,” said Molly as she opened her mirror cabinet, she began taking out her ring collection along with her toothbrush and toothpaste. It felt weird packing up her things, she had lived in the flat over their shop since before they opened. She had lived by herself for the last two years now. “Dad asked me to bring him if we decided to stay together.”

“What’s the finally stipulation?” asked Lucy, and Molly was suddenly happy that Lucy couldn’t see her from the bedroom. “When are you going to decide if you’re staying together or not?”

“The beach trip,” answered Molly as she came back into her bedroom and sat down beside Lucy, forcing her sister to sit up. “When we get back we’ll either file for divorce, or we’ll get remarried.”

“You’re subjecting him to Christmas and New Year’s?” asked Lucy, and Molly sighed.

“It was his idea,” Molly told her and watched as Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’m serious, Luce.”

“I’m sorry I teased you about marrying him this morning,” said Lucy as she rested her head on Molly’s shoulder.

It was like the wand that broke the Hippogriffs back, Molly felt herself fall apart. She wasn’t the crier, but she could feel all the emotions, all of the stress of the day hitting her all at once. She hadn’t wanted to get married at twenty, she wasn’t Lucy who was so happy and so head over heels for husband that she was willing to jump into marriage at such a young age.

Lucy was quiet as she rubbed Molly’s back and hugged her tightly. It was how Molly had always comforted Lucy whenever she cried.

“I’ll be okay,” said Molly a few minutes later when she finally calmed down. “I promise.”

“I know,” whispered Lucy, as she leaned over Molly and waved her wand, making everything in Molly’s trunk organized and folded, fitting in there perfectly.

~`~

“I think the first rule should be no lying,” said Artie as Molly sat back down across from him with a notebook and a pen. “And no cheating on each other.”

“Artie,” said Molly and he could hear her voice pitching up slightly on the last syllable of his name. “Please don’t keep bringing that up, I know I made a mistake, I know I hurt you, I hurt myself doing that. Can we try to move on?”

Artie stared at her, she still looked small, but he could see something simmering in her eyes. He could see the beginnings of the fire that made him fall in love with her all those years ago. Her eyes had been the hardest thing for him to forget in the six months it took for him to get over her.

“Maybe we should try therapy,” offered Artie, trying to catch Molly’s eyes. “What’s the worse it’ll do?”

“I think we should have a checkpoint,” said Molly, and Artie realized that she was trying to redirect him. “A date that we need to decide if we’re going to stay together or end it.”

“After the Quidditch season?” suggested Artie, as Molly began doodling in the top corner of the page she was writing on.

“When’s that?” asked Molly and Artie was sure that she was messing with him.

“Late May,” Artie told her, and he took a sip of his now cold tea.

“What about the beach trip?” said Molly, looking up at him for the first time since she set down the tea cups, “it’s early April, then we could go back to how everything was before.”

“That’s during Easter isn’t it?” asked Artie, and Molly nodded, “we have that week off so I’ll be able to go.”

“James comes every year,” said Molly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “And I think we’ll know by then if we’re going to work or not.”

Artie nodded, then leaned over as he saw that Molly had written something new on their rule list.

“You want us to go on a date once a week?” he asked her as he read off of the paper in front of her.

“It sounded better to me than therapy,” Molly told him as she went back to her doodle. “I also think that we should live together, but I would understand if that was a bit too much.”

“I mean,” started Artie, noticing that Molly’s hand had stopped moving as he spoke, “if we’re going to try to be man and wife then we mind as well go through with all of it.”

“I can sleep on your couch, or here for a little while until we’re ready,” offered Molly, and Artie knew already he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he forced her to do something like that.

“No, I’ll sleep on the couch,” said Artie, as he got to his feet, he was beginning to feel restless. “Just pack your things and come around whenever you’re ready tonight.”

Molly looked up at him, and he could see that blazing, burning fire in her eyes that he had once known so well. “Tonight?” she squeaked.

“Yeah, mind as well start this right,” he told her, then with a turn of his heel, he left through the door that led down to the shop. He wanted to go flying, but he knew that Liv would chew him out if he went out with his concussion.

So as he finally made his way out of the flat, then shop, he went flying how he used to as a kid, and broke out into a run.

He was sure this was going to be a mistake, but a small part of him, one that he really didn’t want to listen to, made him want to believe that it would all work out.


	4. Dive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly moves in with Artie in an attempt to make their situation work, but at dinner at her parents house, everything seems to blow up around them.
> 
> In other words, Molly and Artie have to fall to get back up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: there is a bit of emotional manipulation between Artie and Molly in the first section of the chapter and there is also mentions of cheating later on in the chapter. If you skip the first section, then read the note at the end of the chapter, I'll explain what was missed.

** Chapter Three: Dive **

By Ed Sheeran

_So let me know the truth,_

_Before I dive right into you_

Molly stared at the door to Artie’s apartment, she was sitting on her trunk with two duffle bags beside her and her purse over her shoulder. All she wanted to do was take a long shower, put on her pajamas and sleep for the next twelve hours. More than anything though, she wanted to do all of that in her own flat.

She sighed and stood up, she just needed to knock on the door and go inside. She just needed to take a step forward and knock on the door.

“How long are you planning on sitting out here? All night, or do you want to come in?” asked Artie from beside her; he stood next to her with a laundry basket in his arms.

“Do you really want to do this?” asked Molly as she sat back down on her trunk. Artie sat down beside her and set his laundry basket on the floor in front of him. “Or are you just doing this because I asked?”

Artie was quiet for a long moment, before he picked up his basket and stood back up again.

“Molly, this is really embarrassing for both of us,” Artie told her as he opened the door to his apartment. “We should try to make this work, if we can’t then we’ll get a divorce. We worked once, maybe we could do it again.”

Molly sighed and got to her feet, she picked up one of the duffle bags beside her and allowed him to lead her inside, her trunk following after the pair of them. She couldn’t help but notice how warm it was inside, and she realized that she had been cold sitting out in the hallway.

“It smells good in here,” said Molly as her trunk set itself down in the front hallway.

“I just put some soup on,” said Artie as he grabbed the other duffle bag off her trunk. “I got some bread in the oven too.”

Molly felt her stomach growl as they reached the bedroom, she hadn’t eaten much of a lunch with the thought of her and Artie’s arrangement. Lucy had kept bugging her to eat, but Molly was too worried and too stressed to do much more than move her food around on her plate.

“Why don’t we eat,” said Artie as he put her bag on the bed. “I’m hungry and you can unpack later.”

“I don’t think I could unpack today,” said Molly wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and go to sleep. “I just want to go to bed.”

“Me too,” said Artie, as he headed towards the door, “but we should eat, and probably talk about how this is going to work.”

Molly nodded and followed after him, he was right, it was something she would need to get used to again.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes and for a moment he had no clue where he was. Then he remembered falling asleep on the couch, it had been a long day yesterday and last night he had helped Molly unpack her trunk and duffle bags, helping her get set up in his apartment.

The last time he had lived with someone had been three years ago, just before his mother died. They had lived in a tiny little flat with one bedroom and barely a kitchen or bathroom. Iggy had left a year before and his father had left when Artie was six, it had hurt to not have them when his mother got sick, but they had gone on until she couldn’t.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes, still feeling tired. He could hear the shower running and music playing, he forgot that Molly got up early every day.

The shower turned off, but the music didn’t, and it took Artie a moment to realize that Molly was singing. “ _I took my love, I took it down, I climbed a mountain and I turned around, and I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills, until a landslide brought me down._ ”

He sat and listened to her sing as she left the bathroom and went into the bedroom. He forgot how much he missed Molly’s singing, his mother had had a beautiful voice, but Molly’s could send shivers down his spine. It helped that they had once had a similar taste in music.

“ _And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills, well the landslide bring it down, oh, the landslide bring it down_ ,” he heard as she went back into the bathroom. After a few minutes, she came out with her hair dry and fluffy and her makeup done, Artie couldn’t help but think that she looked beautiful. These were the things that he had forgotten in the last few years.

“Artie,” called Molly as she went to the kitchen, “would you like some tea?”

Artie sighed and slowly stood up, feeling groggy and tired still. He needed coffee, not tea, he needed something strong and bitter. He felt drunk and it was unsettling for some reason.

He walked into the kitchen and Molly handed him a steaming mug of tea. He took a long sip and felt warm and slowly began to wake up.

“Thank you,” mumbled Artie as he took another long sip of his tea.

“I thought it was the least I could do, considering you helped me unpack last night,” Molly told him, before taking a sip of her own tea.

Artie had to admit that there was something nice and domestic about this, and a feeling he couldn’t quite place began to rise in his stomach.

“I’m sorry to do this to you,” said Molly as she set her mug down on the counter. “But my parents want us to have dinner with them tonight, we need to be there at six.”

The warm feeling in Artie’s stomach disappeared, instead turning into nervousness. He was not ready to have dinner with Molly’s parents, he was sure that he never would be. They probably thought that he was the bad guy who broke their daughter’s heart. He was certain that Percy Weasley did not think much of him, if he thought anything about him at all.

“I know this is not something that you want to do,” said Molly very quickly as she nervously picked up her mug again. “But you would be doing me a really big favor that I would obviously repay. It’s just tha-“

“I’ll do it,” Artie told her, but it quickly became obvious to him that she was spiraling.

“-it would mean a lot to me if you came an-“

“Molly,” said Artie, reaching across the counter top to steady her hands, “I’ll go with you.”

Molly turned her head and looked at him, properly looked at him, “thank you Artie.”

“I’ll go to this dinner with you, if you come to the game this weekend,” Artie told her, they could do this right? Give each other ultimatums? Something about it didn’t sit well in his stomach, but he wanted to have someone cheering him on in the stands. The Woods all had each other, hell, Evan had his own family, and James also had a family cheering for him. Artie didn’t have anyone other than the occasional old Hogwarts friend that came for free tickets.

Molly frowned, “this is so short notice Artie, I’m supposed to be at the shop on Saturday.”

“Then I can’t come tonight,” Artie told her, and Molly sighed.

“I’ll try to work something out,” Molly told him, and he could see the wheels turning in her head. “It’s just that Saturday is normally Lucy’s day off, but I guess I could see if she would be willing to switch with me.”

“I’m sure she will,” Artie told her, and he felt the warm feeling fill his stomach again.

“I guess while we’re on the subject of family dinners,” said Molly and he could hear the nervousness in her voice, “are you going be willing to come to the Sunday night dinners at the Burrow?”

Artie had completely forgotten about the Weasley’s Sunday dinners, even though he had been to quite a few while he had dated Molly before. Just the thought of all the Weasley children and their partners and their children and parents was making him get a headache.

It was going to be so damn loud if they were all like James and Molly.

“That might be too much,” Artie told her, and he watched as her face fell. “You know what your family is like Molly.”

“What if I come to every game of the season,” countered Molly and Artie snorted, unable to help himself.

“You would come to every single game of the season if I come to the ridiculous Weasley Sunday dinners?” Artie asked her, he was already sure that she wouldn’t go through with it, how could she if this first game was already going to be troublesome.

“Yes,” said Molly, and he could hear the determination in her voice, “with the exception of two games, not including this first one, I will go to every game in the season and cheer you on, if you go to Sunday night dinner with me.”

“I get two free passes too,” Artie told her and she nodded.

“That’s fine, I can’t deal with them every week either,” she told him and he smiled.

“You have a deal then,” said Artie and he held his hand out to shake hers. She smiled and they shook hands, and Artie felt the warm feeling in his stomach spread all over his body.

This felt right.

~`~

Molly walked up to the front door of the shop and unlocked it with her set of keys. She turned the sign over in the window from closed to open and headed straight to the back room. It was just her and Lucy today, something that kept happening to them on Thursdays.

She got the mail, she counted then recounted the till, and then she went out front to check the displays and make sure that everything was clean and tidy. Lucy was much better at opening the store than Molly, but they had agreed that they both needed to do both opening and closing duties.

Molly yawned as she folded up a pile of shirts and sweaters that had been left in the changing room. She liked to fold everything the Muggle way, it was calming to her. Lucy liked to do it all by magic, but Molly liked to feel the fabric and do the busy work.

The morning was quiet, with a few people coming in and looking around. She got a few girls to try on some of the new winter dresses they got in a few days ago, and she had just sent them on their way with a new dress each and some of the bracelets they had on sale when Lucy came in through the front door.

Molly couldn’t help but think how cute her sister looked in one of the dresses they always had in stock, along with her brown boots and big hoop earrings. Her baby bump was a bit more obvious in this dress than in her usual autumn wear which was an oversized sweater and a pair of leggings.

“You look nice,” Molly told her as she leaned in the door frame of the back room and watched Lucy put her things away. “Special occasion?”

“We have dinner tonight with mum and dad and I won’t have time to go home and change,” explained Lucy as she smoothed down the front of her dress.

Molly sighed and Lucy looked up at her. “What’s wrong Molly?” asked Lucy, and Molly couldn’t help but think about how well they knew each other.

“I need to ask you a big favor,” Molly told her sister, “I need every Saturday off until the end of the Quidditch season.”

Molly watched as Lucy took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, she was sure that her sister was going to kill her. Lucy had Saturdays off while Molly had Fridays off, it was the arrangement they made when they opened the shop two years ago.

“Do you have to go to every game or something?” asked Lucy and Molly was quiet. “Damnit Molly,” cursed Lucy as the front door chimed, “I guess we can switch days, but you know I love having two days off in a row.”

“What if you took Monday’s off?” asked Molly and Lucy began laughing.

“You hate opening on Mondays,” said Lucy and Molly waited for her sister to calm down. “You hate Mondays in general, its order day and the deposit has to go to Gringotts and the schedule has to be started.”

“And I’ll do it,” Molly told her, and Lucy rolled her eyes, “I will, I promise.”

“I don’t believe you,” said Lucy, as they both headed back into the shop. “But if you really want to do this, then you can take my Saturdays.”

“We always have Sundays too,” Molly reminded her, though they both knew that Sundays weren’t really a day off. Molly spent her Sundays making new products for the shop while Lucy usually spent her day going over the books. It had been a hard decision for them to decide to close the store on Sundays, but they needed the time for them to get everything done that they couldn’t during the days they were open.

“As if we have all the free time in the world on Sunday,” said Lucy with a smile, and Molly knew that all would be fine.

Molly gave her sister a quick hug then allowed Lucy to go and greet the customer who had come in. It was going to be hard when Lucy was on her maternity leave, Molly would miss seeing her every day.

~`~

“What is this?” asked Artie as he looked down at the clothes Molly had put on the bed for him.

“It’s a sweater set,” said Molly as she came in the bedroom, she had pulled her hair back and changed out of the clothes she had been wearing earlier. “I thought it would look nice on you.”

Artie picked up the green and gold colored sweater, this wasn’t his style, he liked more loose fitting clothes. He was tired from a long practice and wanted to just put on something comfy and watch TV, but instead he had to go to Molly’s parent’s house for dinner.

“Do we have to do this?” asked Artie as Molly riffled through the closet. “Do you even want to do this?”

Molly turned around and looked at him, “yes, you promised me.”

Artie sighed and pulled off his shirt and put on the sweater that Molly got for him. It was warm and soft and incredibly comfortable. It felt almost weightless against his skin and he felt bad for judging Molly on giving it to him.

He kept on the jeans he wore all day as Molly pulled on a yellow cardigan. It went nicely with her dark green dress and black heeled boots. He never would’ve put an outfit like that together, but Molly was a professional at this fashion stuff.

“You should put these on,” said Molly as she pulled out a pair of dark wash jeans that he had only worn a few times. “They’ll look nice with that sweater.”

“I’m good,” said Artie as he looked at his watch, “we should get going anyways, it’s nearly six.”

Artie watched as Molly crossed her arms and her ears started to turn pink. If there was one thing that he could remember, it was the signs of a Weasley temper tantrum.

“Don’t even,” said Artie and Molly’s neck also started to turn a pinkish red. He would’ve found it adorable, if her anger wasn’t targeted towards him.

“I don’t understand why you can’t just change your jeans Artie,” said Molly as she threw the jeans at him as she walked pass him out the door. “I’m only asking you for your own benefit.”

Artie sat down on his bed as he heard Molly walk down the hall, her heeled boots click-clacking with every angry step. Part of him was sure that she was right, but he already changed his shirt and he was fine with what he was wearing.

He sighed and stood up, taking off his jeans and changing into the one’s that Molly had given him. He looked at himself in the mirror Molly had hung up over the closet door and he had to admit, he _looked_ hot.

He could feel his own temper begin to rise, he hadn’t wanted Molly to be right, but she was and it was to his advantage.

“See,” said Molly from where she stood by the fireplace, his pot of floo powder in her hand. “Don’t you look nice?”

“You don’t have to rub it in,” Artie told her as he took a pinch of floo powder from the pot. “Let’s go, we’re late as it is.”

Molly sighed and went through the floo first, while Artie followed after her.

~`~

Molly loved going back home.

She loved visiting her parents and having dinner with them. After being sick for so long, it was nice to have a conversation that wasn’t about her illness. She always felt good after a visit, and more often than not, her parents had someone over.

Tonight though, was different.

Showing up late with Artie, her husband who she drunkenly eloped, was not going to start the night off right. She always made the effort to be on time to dinner when she visited her parents, even if they wouldn’t eat for another twenty minutes.

It was more about the standard, the tradition than anything.

Lucy and Devon were already there when Molly and Artie arrived. They sat close together on the couch, while Molly and Lucy’s father sat in the armchair across from them. Sitting next to Lucy and Devon was the youngest Wood child, Oliver Jr, or as they all called him, Ollie Jay. His parents sat in the small loveseat next to the couch.

Molly hugged her father, then turned to one of her two godfather’s Oliver Wood and hugged him tightly. She then turned to Oliver’s wife Katie and hugged her just as tightly.

Molly had two godfathers, they were her father’s oldest friends, Oliver Wood and Romulus Howell, both of who adored her and Lucy.

“Hey Ollie Jay,” said Molly as she ruffled Ollie’s hair before she headed to the kitchen, leaving Artie to defend himself to her family. Molly walked into the kitchen and was hit with warm happy smells, Molly couldn’t cook, but her mother could. Her mother made better food than anything they served at Hogwarts.

“Hello my Love,” said Molly’s mother Audrey as Molly hugged her. Molly was very close to her mother, while Lucy was at school and her father worked at the joke shop, her mum was always around. They would spend their days reading and doing homework and wandering the hospital together. When Lucy got out of school, Audrey would teach them how to sew with her old sewing machine or how to knit. Molly took up on knitting more when she was at Hogwarts than when she was at St. Mungo’s.

“Hi mum,” said Molly as she pulled away, then rested her chin on her mother’s shoulder. She and Lucy were three inches taller than Audrey, and it still felt weird to them.

“Do you want some tea?” asked Audrey as she continued to stir the pot in front of her. “Or should I have you break out something stronger?”

“I think a glass of wine is needed,” said Molly as she felt a hand on her back. “Except for you Lucy.”

Lucy sighed as she put her head on Audrey’s other shoulder, “being pregnant sucks.”

Molly giggled while Audrey laughed out loud and pulled away from the pair of them, she went to the cupboard and pulled out a couple of wine glasses. “Is Devon drinking?” she asked over her shoulder.

“No,” said Lucy as she stirred the pot Audrey had left behind on the stove. “If I can’t, then he’s not.”

“I did the same thing to your father,” Audrey told them as she poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Molly. “But you know that he didn’t care that much. It only bothered him during Harry and Ginny’s wedding.”

“Wasn’t Aunt Ginny pregnant with James anyways?” asked Molly, before she took a long drink out of her wine glass. Just the taste made her feel calmer.

“There is no shortage of alcohol at a Weasley wedding,” said Audrey as Lucy turned the gas off on the stove. “You all know that.”

Molly sighed and Lucy giggled as she helped take the food off the stove and into the dining room. Her mother would never outright chastise her, but she wouldn’t be subtle in her disappointment.

She grabbed a stack of plates out of one of the cupboards and followed after her mother and sister. She had to admit, she was quite proud of Artie already, as she hadn’t heard any shouting from the living room yet.

~`~

Artie watched as Molly greeted everyone in the living room, even ruffling Ollie Jay’s hair, before slipping out to the kitchen. He knew that she was searching for her mother, that was one thing he remembered clearly, how close Molly was with Audrey.

He had once been as close to his mother.

“Arthur,” said Percy Weasley, standing up and adjusting his own sweater as he did so. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen you.”

Artie shook Percy’s hand, hoping that he was making the right impression. He knew how much Molly meant to her parents, and how much they meant to her. But part of him couldn’t hide his nervousness, not only was it Molly’s parents and sister and brother-in-law, but also his coach and his family. If he made a fool of himself in front of Oliver, then he was definitely going to feel it in practice later.

“It’s good to see you too sir,” said Artie, and he knew already that he had fucked up. Percy Weasley could be intimidating, but he wasn’t someone that you called sir.

He heard Oliver and Lucy’s husband, Devon, laugh as he felt his neck turn bright red. He was going to embarrass himself tonight, there was no going around that.

“You can call me Mr. Weasley,” said Percy and Artie knew that he wasn’t going to enjoy this dinner more than he originally thought.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Weasley,” said Artie and he felt like he was sixteen all over again.

“Dad,” said Lucy as she stood up, “don’t be too harsh.”

Artie watched as she disappeared into the kitchen and he wanted nothing more than to disappear after her. He always felt more comfortable in the kitchen.

“Come on,” said Devon, patting the seat beside him, “I want to pick your brain on the upcoming season.”

Artie gratefully took the seat, he had quite liked Devon when they used to hang out while they were dating Molly and Lucy.

“Don’t tell him anything about the upcoming season,” ordered Oliver and he heard Katie giggle.

“Trade secrets,” muttered Devon and Artie smiled.

“We’ve just been training anyways,” Artie whispered under his breath. “I don’t have anything to tell.”

“No team gossip?” asked Devon, and before Devon could answer Ollie Jay leaned over and said, “Dad said no talking about the team.”

Artie liked Ollie Jay, but he was such a tattle-tale that it made him annoying.

“Yes, yes,” said Artie as Ollie Jay leaned back into his seat. He turned back to Devon and said, “you heard the kid.”

“I’m eight,” said Ollie Jay glaring at Artie, “not just some kid. Also I’m not the one that got knocked out by a bludger yesterday.”

“Weren’t you at school?” asked Devon, though that didn’t mean anything, Ollie Jay knew everything about the team.

“I know everything,” said Ollie Jay as he stood up and walked out of the room.

Artie looked over at Oliver who seemed engaged in a conversation with his wife Katie. Percy was staring down Devon and Artie and not for the first time since meeting Percy Weasley, Artie felt like he was reading his mind. Artie was sure that Percy didn’t know Occlumency, but he also didn’t know how it would feel to have his mind read.

“Dinner’s ready,” said Lucy as she poked her head into the living room, and Artie couldn’t be happier to move off the couch. His stomach was a knot of nerves, he wasn’t sure he would be able to eat, but at least he wasn’t the only one under fire.

They found Molly and Ollie Jay already sitting at the table, and Artie felt his stomach drop at the sight of them sitting next to each other. He quickly took the other open seat next to Molly, at least he would have one person on his side.

~`~

“So how is this going to work?” asked Percy, as soon as everyone was sat around the table. He held his wine glass in one hand while he stared down Artie.

“Dad, don’t do this,” said Molly as she piled roasted potatoes on her plate. “Now is not the time to talk about this.”

“ _Molly_ ,” said Audrey and Molly felt small again as her mother said her name. “We just don’t want you to get hurt like last time.”

Molly felt Artie stiffen beside her and she could already feel her ears grow warm. “I would rather we didn’t talk about this right now,” said Molly as she locked eyes with her father, “we don’t have all the details figured out quite yet.”

“She moved in with me,” said Artie and Molly wanted to kick him under the table. “We’re going to try to make it work for now, but it’s too soon to judge.”

“So you have no clue,” said Lucy and Molly could hear the biting tone in her voice. “I mean are the two of you going to call it quits after one fight, or are you going to try to work it through? You don’t know each other anymore.”

“Lucy,” said Molly, looking up at her sister. She knew why she was doing this and why she was being so rude about it. She wanted to kick Lucy, but she was sitting just out of reach. “This isn’t appropriate.”

“I was the one who put you back together last time Molly,” said Lucy and Molly was sure that Artie was going to leave.

“Did you not tell them why we broke up in the first place?” Artie asked Molly and she wanted nothing more than to sink into her chair. She looked around the table, at everyone except for Artie. She found herself locking eyes with Katie, and it only made her feel smaller.

“No,” said Molly, breaking her eye contact with Katie and looking down at her lap. “I didn’t tell anyone why we broke up because I was embarrassed that I cheated on you Artie.”

She looked up at him and she could feel all the emotions of their break up hit her all over again. Molly hadn’t really dated anyone seriously since she and Artie broke up three years ago, nor had she actually told anyone why they had broken up.

It had been more out of the fear that he was already hurting her that she had done what she’d done. She had loved Artie, but she had been sure that he only loved her because he felt that he was protecting her.

“Molly,” whispered Audrey and Molly felt tears prickle in her eyes. “How could you do that to someone?”

“It was a mistake,” said Molly, feeling her emotions ball up and tumble out. “He had stopped writing and stopped calling and I was worried that he was going to break it off. Then I messed up and he _did_!”

Molly wiped at her eyes, she had no idea what she was supposed to do, supposed to say. Three years ago, she had been so in love, so _happy_ , but now she was married to a man she never really knew, even then. She had made a mistake, one that she hadn’t let herself forget.

“You never told me,” said Lucy so quietly that Molly wouldn’t have heard her if anyone else was making a sound. “I thought that he just broke up with you over nothing Molly.”

“I know,” said Molly with a small hiccup, unable to help herself. “I felt so bad, but I never thought I would ever have to see him again.”

“Well you don’t,” said Artie, as he stood up, “I know when I’m not welcomed and I’m not going to sit through this.”

“Artie, you promised!” said Molly as he walked out of the room. She couldn’t help herself but follow after him, she didn’t want him to go, but she could understand why he would. She had embarrassed him in front of her family, in front of his coach.

She found him just outside the front door, pacing in the front yard. His red hair looked as if he had had been pulling on it and it stood on end. “You promised me that you would stay!” she yelled at him as she watched him pace back and forth in front of her. “You promised me that you would go to dinner with me if I go to your game!”

She walked down the path and without thinking she grabbed his arms and steadied him. “You promised me Artie,” she told him as she found his eyes. She had forgotten how beautiful his eyes were.

“You didn’t even tell them Molly,” said Artie in a calmer voice than she had expected. “You fucking lied to your family to make yourself feel better.”

“I know,” whispered Molly as she felt tears in her eyes. “I know I fucked up Artie and I’m sorry, but you have to understand-“

“Understand?” said Artie pulling away from her and returning to his pacing, “I should understand? You cheated on me Molly! I loved you, I wanted to marry you Molly! I wanted so much for us and you broke my heart! I haven’t been the same since then!”

He threw his arms into the air and Molly knew when a breakdown was about to happen. She could feel her own emotions mounting higher and higher to the point of her own meltdown.

“This was a mistake,” said Molly quietly, sure that he couldn’t hear her, as she sat down on the front step, “we should’ve just gotten a divorce.”

She wiped at her eyes and tried to keep herself from completely falling apart. She never thought that she would hate coming home, that she wouldn’t find peace here.

“No,” said Artie as he sat down beside her, his hair was even messier, but his face wasn’t as red as before. “We made a decision, we should stick to it.”

Molly didn’t know what to say, so instead she just tipped her head back and stared up at the stars. Molly always liked autumn, she liked the rain, she liked the temperature getting cooler, and she loved the coziness of the season.

“I’m sorry about all of this,” Molly told him, as she finally got her thoughts together. “You don’t deserve me, deserve all of this mess.”

“That’s not true,” said Artie as he wrapped an arm around Molly’s shoulders and she leaned into his side. “That’s not true at all.”

Molly wiped at her face, sure that her makeup was a mess now. She hated crying, hated this kind of weakness. Lucy was the crier of the two of them, she showed all of her emotions on her sleeve, while Molly usually kept them all bottled up.

_Except_ , it seemed with Artie.

“We should probably go back in,” said Molly, though she couldn’t quite make herself move.

“I don’t know,” said Artie, pulling his arm back and Molly instantly missed the weight, the warmth. “I feel like we’ve moved passed that.”

“What will we do then?” asked Molly, as she stood up and held her hand out to him.

Artie smiled, and Molly knew what he was going to say. “Let’s go home,” said Artie as he took her hand to pull himself up. “I’ll make us some food.”

~`~

Artie made waffles.

There was something about breakfast food that always made him feel better after a long day. It helped sober him after a long night of drinking, and it always reminded him of better days.

He set Molly up with peeling apples while he made the waffle batter. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her concentrate on what she was doing. He remembered the tales of caution Lucy would tell him from the potions class that Molly and her shared. She still had the scar on the base of her thumb from stabbing herself with her knife when she was twelve. He felt it against his own palm when they held hands earlier.

“What are these for again?” asked Molly as she reached for the third apple.

“An apple compote,” Artie told her as he began cutting up her peeled apples. “It’s like a mix of a sauce and a jam.”

Molly nodded as she watched him cut the apples up into neat little squares. Artie liked to cook, he had learned everything he knew from his mother; she taught him everything she knew about cooking until she couldn’t.

They worked next to each other in the quiet of the kitchen. Artie usually listened to the radio or put the TV on for some noise, but standing side by side with Molly was not only familiar, but also enough for him. He didn’t need the noise.

Molly made them tea and climbed up onto the counter as he made the compote and waffles for them. He couldn’t help himself from glancing over at her every few minutes. Her makeup was smeared and she had changed into one of her old Weasley sweaters and sweatpants when they got home, but she looked so much more relaxed than when they were at her parent’s house.

He made them both a plate of food before they sat at the table. Artie waited until Molly took a bite and then another, before digging into his plate. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he started eating. He could feel the anger and stress and tension he felt all day go away as he started to get full.

“That was really good, Artie,” said Molly as she took his empty plate from him. “You’ll have to teach me how to make that compote.”

“Don’t you remember the last time we tried to cook together?” asked Artie as he also got up to start cleaning up the kitchen. “You almost cut off your finger and I burnt myself.”

That had been the summer after they had started dating, back when they were still learning each other. Back when they were a mess together.

“I didn’t cut myself tonight,” protested Molly as she put the plates into the sink and started running water over them. “I thought I was very helpful.”

“You did help,” agreed Artie as he watched her begin to fill the sink with soapy water. He couldn’t remember the last time he had washed anything by hand, let alone the dishes. It had to of been before he graduated from Hogwarts.

Without thinking, Artie fell into place beside her, rinsing and stacking the dishes in the dish rack beside him. Their arms and hands kept touching in the small space as she handed him the soapy, but clean dishes to rinse off.

They fell into a companionable silence, no noise other than the clinking of glass on glass and the sound of running water. Artie couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this relaxed standing beside Molly, or anyone for that matter.

“Thank you,” said Molly after she pulled the plug and dried her hands on the hand towel. She smiled up at him as she handed off the towel, and without thinking, Artie pulled her close and kissed her.

He felt a pang of happiness as he felt her kiss him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you skipped over Molly and Artie's first conversation, basically Artie told Molly that he would go to Sunday family dinners if she came to his Quidditch games. Both of them get the exception of two games/dinners.
> 
> Thanks for reading,  
> ~Harry


	5. Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback!
> 
> We go back to when Molly was fifteen (I know) and Artie was sixteen! While Artie and Molly prepare for Artie's first game of the season and Molly goes to the Ministry and runs into someone who could help her figure something out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the very last flashback section of this chapter has a mention of a possible consent/sexual moment between Molly and Artie while they're fifteen and sixteen. I would like to put out a blanket statement that there will be consenting underage sex in this story. I will have another note at the end of the chapter also.

** Chapter Four: Fifteen **

By Taylor Swift

 _'Cause when you're fifteen,_  
Somebody tells you they love you  
You're gonna believe them

**Five Years Earlier - 2022**

Molly sat in the common area of the teen ward of St. Mungo’s, her potions textbook opened in front of her, but she couldn’t focus on the words. She was tired, she had another round of chemo on its way, and she missed Lucy.

Two days ago, Lucy had gone back to Hogwarts and Molly had been stuck in the ICU.

It wasn’t fair that she was the sick one. She and Lucy were so identical, that they were perfect donor matches. It didn’t make sense to her that they were the same genetically, except that her white blood cells wanted to kill her.

“Hey there,” said a voice behind her, and Molly looked up, happy to have a distraction from her homework.

“Hi,” said Molly, her voice sounded rough and dry, not like her.

Artie sat down beside her and she saw that he cut his hair over the holidays. She had remembered that he said something to her about it the few times they talked on the phone, but it was different to see it in person.

Artie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. “Come on now,” he mumbled into her ear as he pulled her closer, and she felt herself shiver, but not from being cold.

“I missed you,” whispered Molly as she played with the cuffs of Lucy’s newest Weasley sweater. Lucy had swapped them out before she had left for Hogwarts. “I wish you could’ve been at New Year’s.”

“I’m going back to Hogwarts in a week,” Artie told her as he closed the book on her lap and put it on his other side. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you.”

Molly wished that too, she wished that she wasn’t stuck in St. Mungo’s, she wished that she could go with him. She missed her dorm, her friends, her family, Lucy; she even missed her classes, struggling through potions, and being bored in charms.

She wanted to go to school, she wanted to go flying with Artie, she wanted to do her homework with Lucy in the library, and she wanted to eat dinner with Hugo at the Hufflepuff table. She wanted to be healthy and happy and fifteen again.

“Don’t do that,” Molly told him as she looked up at him, “I’ll be fine, as I have been before you crash landed here.”

Artie smiled and Molly felt her heart skip a beat. He had a great smile, one that made his face light up and his eyes look just like the sky on a clear day.

“I don’t know if I’ll be though,” said Artie. It was exactly what she wanted to hear, she wanted Artie more than anything, more than she wanted to go back to school, more than she wanted to go home, more than she wanted to be healthy.

“You’ll be fine,” Molly told him as she reached up and ruffled his hair, she just wanted to run her fingers through it. She wanted to know if it was still as soft and fluffy as it had been before he cut it. “I promise you’ll be fine.”

Artie was quiet, and Molly couldn’t take it. She leaned forward and kissed him, she was trying to tell him everything that she couldn’t say out loud in that one kiss. She tried to tell him that he would be okay without her, that he would be fine at school, and that he didn’t have to worry if he never heard from her again.

She tried to tell him that she was in love with him.

**2026**

Artie opened his eyes, for some reason it felt odd to wake up in his own bed. He expected Molly to be beside him, but her side was cold and empty. She had been tired last night, falling asleep almost immediately after they made dinner.

He was enjoying teaching her how to cook, even if it was taking all of his patience. She had next to no confidence in the kitchen, so he was spending more of his time teaching her the basics while telling her over and over again that she was doing everything correct.

He climbed out of bed and padded down the hall, where he found Molly at the table with a cup of tea in hand and the _Prophet_ in front of her. “Morning,” she trilled as she got up out of her seat. “I made tea and coffee, I wasn’t sure which you would like.”

“I got it,” Artie told her, waving her away and Molly sat back down. His game didn’t start until ten, but Oliver liked for them to arrive a little early. Evan liked for them to arrive even earlier, he gave the same speech before every game, just like Oliver.

“Am I supposed to meet you at the coach’s box?” asked Molly as she picked up her cup of tea. “Or am I sitting in the stands?”

“You can sit in the coach’s box, I’m sure Oliver wouldn’t like his goddaughter sitting in the stands,” Artie told her as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t usually get nervous before games, hadn’t since he got struck by lightning his sixth year.

“To be honest,” said Molly quietly, “he’s more Lucy’s godfather than mine. Uncle George and Aunt Angelina were the ones that took care of me, Oliver and Romulus got Lucy more.”

“Sorry,” said Artie as he sat down across from her at the table. “But I’m sure you can sit in the coach’s box, Oliver is fine with us inviting family and friends to watch him breakdown.”

Molly laughed, “I haven’t been to a game in years, not since Hogwarts at least.”

“Then I guess you’re in for a treat,” said Artie before taking a sip of his coffee. “Katie claims that it’s funny to watch her father fall apart halfway through every game. Personally, I don’t know how she can sit and watch it.”

“She’s married to James,” said Molly offhandedly, “if she’s not used to chaos now, then she never will be.”

Artie smiled, he had to admit that it was true, being a part of the Weasley family was quite a thing it turned out. After their disastrous dinner with Molly’s parents and the _Prophet_ article made its rounds through the family, they had woken up to about thirty owls in the kitchen. Molly had gone to work and Artie went to practice, but it seemed that every one of Molly’s family members had something to say to her.

Artie had had a half day of practice, which Oliver always gave them the day before a game. He had thought that it would be nice to drop some lunch off to Molly, but that had proven to be a mistake when he had gone to the shop and found just about every member of the Weasley brood there. All of them yelling and talking over each other, Molly had been in the very middle, and he could tell that she was being pulled through the ringers.

He was sure that it had been the reason she had gone to sleep so early. He would’ve been exhausted after dealing with her family like that.

“The game doesn’t start until ten,” Artie told her as she picked the newspaper back up again. “But I’m going to the pitch at nine, we’re supposed to be there early.”

“I’ll come around at nine forty-five,” said Molly, behind the paper, “should I check in to prove that I came.”

“If you would like to,” Artie told her, wishing that he could see her behind the newspaper. He wanted to see if she was smiling, if she was joking with him. “If we win today though, then Evan will have everyone over for drinks.”

“And if you don’t?”

“Then he’ll let us drown in our misery,” said Artie before he finished off his cup of coffee. “But I don’t think we’ll lose, we’re playing Tutshill.”

“The Tornadoes did really well last year,” said Molly, peeking over the paper, “Devon was quite upset when the Harpies took them out in the semi-finals.”

“Maybe he should come around for a game,” said Artie, he would actually enjoy it if Devon came to a game, they used to talk about Quidditch quite a bit when they dated Molly and Lucy. They always made the joke of being the third and fourth wheels with the girls, so they always talked about what they wanted to, what they had in common.

“He would probably enjoy that,” said Molly, as Artie got up and went into the kitchen. “It’s hard to get him off the subject.”

“What is he doing now anyways?” asked Artie, he started getting out bread and eggs to make them breakfast.

For some reason, he was a bit surprised by how much Molly ate. When he first met Molly, she was in the end of her first round of chemo, she would nibble on her food and most of it would go untouched. When they dated, she was still getting in the habit of eating full meals again, she was eating more than when she was sick, but it was still less than she ate now.

Artie put the bread in the toaster as he started beating eggs in a bowl. After a moment, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back and he felt all the tension in his shoulders leave.

“You guys will win today,” whispered Molly as he poured the eggs into a hot pan and began stirring them. “Stop being so nervous.”

“The last time I had someone who cared about me watch me play was when my mum was still alive,” Artie told her, as the toaster popped. “That was two years ago.”

“I had been wondering where your mum was,” said Molly as she let go of him and started buttering the toast. “I was sure that she would’ve been upset with us, Iggy too.”

“Mum died two years ago, she was sick for quite a while,” Artie told her, sure that they had been dating when his mum had started getting sick. “I thought I had told you about it.”

“I don’t remember,” mumbled Molly as she grabbed them plates from the cupboard in front of her. “I don’t know if we were still dating.”

Artie portioned out eggs for them, while Molly refilled their cups and grabbed the jam out of the fridge. He couldn’t quite remember if he had jam before Molly moved in, he certainly couldn’t remember eating it before she came, but he couldn’t be sure. They had been living together for four days, but it felt like longer.

It wasn’t helping that their days seemed to be sliding into one another.

“But what about Iggy? What’s he been up to?”

Artie brought their plates over to the table and sat down as she handed him his coffee cup. He didn’t want to answer her, he really didn’t want to talk about his family. Not now, not before a game.

“Iggy left after New Year’s,” Artie told her before he started eating his eggs. He hadn’t seen Iggy since he left, not even in passing somewhere.

“Three years ago?” asked Molly, looking up at him, he nodded. “Artie, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m going to go to the pitch,” said Artie as he finished stuffing his eggs and toast into his mouth. “I’ll see you later.”

He grabbed his Quidditch kit as he walked out the door and left Molly still sitting at the table.

~`~

Molly picked up the newspaper again after Artie had left. It was only eight thirty, but she must have picked a nerve asking about Iggy. She had liked Artie’s older brother the few times she had met him, he had been really nice to her, so hearing that he had left, disappeared had made her upset.

The last she had heard, he had been in Auror training.

Good thing she had plenty of connections to the Auror’s office. She had to go to the Ministry anyways to apologize to Aurora Hopkins in the Magical Law and Licenses Department. She knew Aurora from school, she had been a few years older than her and a Slytherin prefect. Molly had liked her, and she had been embarrassed to apparently trash her office.

She took a quick shower and quickly got dressed in a navy-blue dress with one of her favorite yellow cardigans to show her support for Puddlemere. She left her hair down and damp and curly, before she flooed to the Ministry.

Molly had been to the Ministry a few times when she was a kid, her mother used to be Minister Kingsley’s personal sectary, until Molly and Lucy were born. Her mother was still good friends with the Minister while they were little, so Molly had vague memories of them going to Ministry events.

Her father hated his time working at the Ministry. He hated the things they told him to do during the war and when the opportunity arose, he had quit. Molly always thought that it had been really brave of him to step away from what he knew, it was something she could never had done.

It was why she went into business for herself.

Molly went through security and headed to the elevators. It was still early and despite being a Saturday, a _Quidditch_ Saturday, the lift was full of people. Molly felt herself getting shuffled and pushed around as she stood in a corner of the elevator.

It filled up behind her in the atrium, and slowly emptied out as they headed through the levels. They emptied out on level seven, Magical Games and Sports, and Molly couldn’t help but notice that most of the Ministry employees that walked out were wearing their team’s colors. She tried to keep her head down, but noticed that she could recognize a few of her former housemates.

The Hufflepuff Quidditch team was the worst team at Hogwarts while she had been at school. They had the rare talented team member, but otherwise they had been horrible. They had finished last in the House Quidditch League the whole time she had been at school.

Molly had two dorm mates that she was sure went to work at the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

The elevator filled and emptied a few more times until it was just Molly and two others who all got off on level two, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She watched as the other two lift occupants headed straight into the Auror Headquarters.

Molly stood staring at the portraits on either side of the large double doors that lead into the Auror Headquarters. She could count on one hand how many times she had been on this floor, let alone anywhere near the Auror’s Headquarters, despite her cousin Scorpius and her Uncles Harry and Ron all working in there.

She turned left and walked down the hallway to find the Department of Magical Law and Licenses. She found it after walking passed it twice and double-checking the doors. The room was barely bigger than a broom closet, filled from head to toe with filing cabinets and two very small overflowing desks. Sitting at one of them was Aurora Hopkins as Molly remembered her.

Her dark hair was tied back in ponytail and she was wearing dark robes and her old Slytherin scarf was wrapped around her neck. Molly could understand that, it was always cold whenever she went to the Ministry. Usually she let Lucy deal with whatever Ministry nonsense they had to go through.

“Can I help you?” asked Aurora as Molly walked into the office. “Or are you lost?”

“Hello,” said Molly, suddenly nervous. “I just came by to apologize about the other night.”

Aurora looked up from the mounting stacks of paperwork and up at Molly. She immediately started glaring at Molly and Molly really couldn’t blame her.

“Are you here to trash my office again?” asked Aurora as Molly stood in the doorway.

“No,” said Molly quickly as she took a step forward and tripped over a box on the floor, spilling the contents all over. Molly cursed under her breath and pointed her wand at the box, fixing the mess on the floor. “I actually came by to apologize for Artie and me-“

“It took me the last three days to clean up and reorganize all of the paperwork,” said Aurora as Molly got up to her feet. “I got nothing done in that time.”

“I’m sorry, both of us are,” said Molly, as she stood awkwardly in between the two desks. “We really didn’t mean t-“

“To ruin my paperwork? To trash my office? To give me a headache that lasted through today?” asked Aurora, and Molly realized that she didn’t have time to deal with this.

“I came here to apologize,” snapped Molly as she looked down at Aurora in her seat behind her desk. Aurora wasn’t that much bigger than Molly, and she looked even smaller behind her desk. “If you don’t want to accept my apology that’s fine, but I’m not going to stand here and let you berate me.”

“Oh just get out of here,” said Aurora, pointing her wand at the door. “I’ll accept your apology if you and that husband of yours don’t come around here anymore.”

Molly would take it, she didn’t plan on ever coming back to the Department of Magical Law and Licenses if she could help it.

She walked back towards the lifts and ran into someone as she walked pass the Auror offices.

“Molly?” said a voice that she would recognize anywhere. Scorpius wasn’t her cousin by blood, but he was the closest thing she had to a cousin on her mum’s side, other than Lyla his actual cousin. “What are you doing here?”

Molly wanted to ask him the same, he had Rose and their children, Hermes and Athena to think about, but instead she said, “I wanted to see if Uncle Harry was around.”

“He’s going to a game today,” said Scorpius off handedly, “but I believe Ron is around.”

Molly didn’t really care to see either of her uncles, she needed to get to the game, but then she started to remember her conversation with Artie that morning. Without thinking, she reached out a hand and grabbed Scorpius’ arm.

“Hey Scorpius,” said Molly, taking a step closer to him. “Can you do me a favor, if it won’t be too much trouble?”

Scorpius leaned down closer to her, and though they didn’t have any real relation, there was something in his eyes that reminded her of her mother. Audrey had the same intense eyes that Scorpius had.

“What do you need?” asked Scorpius in a whisper. “Nothing illegal?”

“No,” said Molly quickly, “I’m just looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“Ignatius Michael Jacobs,” Molly told him, “last I heard he was in the Auror program, but no one has heard from him in three years.”

“Okay,” said Scorpius rubbing a hand through his hair, Rose was going to want to give him a haircut pretty soon. “I’ll try what I can, but I’m in the middle of a few cases right now.”

“Take your time,” Molly told him, smiling up at him and getting a smile in return. “I was just curious about what happened to him.”

“This has nothing to do with that new husband of yours does it?” asked Scorpius with his trademark Malfoy smirk, and Molly felt her ears grow warm.

“It does,” said Molly, as her face grew red. “But he doesn’t seem to care, and I do.”

“I’ll look into it, but I can’t promise anything,” said Scorpius as he grabbed her into a quick one arm hug. Molly hugged him back, as he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “come around sometime next week for dinner. Rose has been worried.”

Molly nodded as Scorpius pulled away and headed into the Auror’s office. She loved Scorpius just like any of her other cousins, but she could do without some of the meddling.

**Five Years Earlier - 2022**

Artie leaned down and kissed Molly, being away from her, being back at school felt so weird after his two months in St. Mungo’s, after his two months with Molly. They had met in the middle of the night, they stayed up all night and watched Dr. Who and talked about everything and nothing.

Molly smiled as his lips moved down her throat and to her shoulder. He reached a hand up and pushed her hat off, touching the soft warm skin that was her bald head. She was beautiful even with no hair, no eyebrows, or no eyelashes. He had been nervous at first, but she wasn’t.

He sat with her while she got sick from her chemo treatments, while she went through two surgeries, and various homework breakdowns. They sat together in the common area and did their homework, they watched TV, and they complained about everything under the sun.

His mum liked her the few times she came around to see him, always making a joke about never seeing them apart. She was right, as Artie spent nights by her bedside, in her bed when they could get away with it.

“Don’t,” mumbled Molly as he slipped a hand under her shirt. “Not yet.”

He sighed into her shoulder, this was where they always stalled out.

“I don’t want you to see me with all these tubes in my chest,” whispered Molly as she played with his hair. “Also my parents or uncle or Healer Justin can walk in at any time.”

“I know,” said Artie, as he had said it for the thousandth time. “I know Molly.”

He rolled onto his back, away from her, but she surged forward, her lips catching his. She kissed him as she always did, in an all-consuming lust for him. He held onto her, holding her close to him and keeping her there. He had been scared to dive so quickly into this relationship, into her.

She had told him over and over again that she could fall apart at any moment. That she could lose herself, but he couldn’t bring himself to think about her like that. He knew that she was fragile, that she was small, and that Leukemia was a killer.

But he believed in her. He believed that she could win against her silent killer.

“I love you,” Artie whispered against her shoulder, her throat, her ear. “I love you like breathing. I love you like seeing. I love you like the sun and the stars and the moon above us now.”

Molly gasped as his lips pressed into the spot just behind her ear that drove her crazy. She gripped his hands and moaned as his lips moved to her jaw.

“Artie,” she moaned, just as his lips found hers. She dug her fingers into his hair, pulling on his curls and giggling when he moved to her neck.

“Artie,” she whispered as his hands went to her hips. “I’m not ready yet.”

He stopped and she reached for him. “Molly,” he said quietly, “please?”

“I love you Artie,” whispered Molly, taking his hands in her own. Her fingers were cold, they were always cold now, always searching for warmth. “ _Please_ wait for me?”

It was the stress on the word please, the sadness and the wanting of the word that made him nod. “I would do anything for you,” he whispered, as her hands made their way back up into his curls. “Why won’t you do the same for me?”

“I love you, but I don’t want my first time with you to be in St. Mungo’s,” said Molly, as she tucked her head into his neck. “I want to be healthy and whole again. I don’t want tubes under my skin and poison in my veins. I want to be my whole self again.”

Artie put a hand on her forehead, he would’ve pushed back her hair if she had any, tuck a curl behind her ear if he could. He wanted to so badly, he wanted the girl that was in the pictures on her desk, pinned to her mirror. He wanted her with her wild red hair and her freckles and the glow that seemed to radiate from her skin.

But he fell in love with the girl who was small, who had no hair and pale, ghostly skin. She was beautiful with no hair, with no color, she was made for black and white now, but he knew he would see her in color soon.

“Okay,” whispered Artie, as he kissed her ear. “I love you.”

Molly kissed the corner of his mouth, a spot she had kissed so many times. “I love you too.”

**2026**

Molly knocked on the door of the Puddlemere changing room. She could still remember the last time she had done this, it was one of the last times she and Artie had kissed.

Other than two nights before. He had kissed her after a long and tiring day, after a disastrous dinner with her parents and after doing the dishes after their own quiet dinner at home. She hadn’t been able to stop herself from kissing him back, from finding herself consumed with him, his lips, his hair, his laugh after they were done.

She kissed him when he pulled away, finding his lips and feeling like she was fifteen all over again. Part of her missed him, missed him liked breathing, while the rest of her wanted to push him as far away as possible.

Then he kissed her back, just as she had done.

It was a quiet exchange, until it wasn’t, until he was lifting her up onto the counter and kissing her like she was fifteen and they were in her bed at St. Mungo’s. This time though, she had hair for him to run his fingers through, she wasn’t being pumped full of poison and had tubes in her veins. She was whole and healthy and herself.

Artie had kissed her neck and shoulders and collar bone. He kissed whatever skin he could find and she let him.

When they finally pulled away from one another, they were both gasping for air. Suddenly, she felt like fifteen wasn’t that far away.

“Molly,” said Ollie Jay as he opened the door to the changing room. Molly couldn’t help but smile at him, despite being named after his father, he looked more like his mother. “Dad doesn’t want them to have visitors this close to the game.”

“This is my first game in years Ollie,” Molly told him as James appeared behind him.

“Hey Molly,” said James with a big smile, and Molly was suddenly pissed at him. It was his fault that she was in this situation.

“James,” said Molly in a flat voice, hoping that he could hear how unamused she was with him. “Can you get Artie?”

James’ smile disappeared and he turned on his heel, Ollie Jay following right after him, closing the door in Molly’s face. After a few moments, the door opened again and Molly was greeted with Artie’s face.

“Hey,” said Artie, his voice cold just as it had been when he left that morning.

“Hi,” said Molly, hoping that her smile was working just a little bit to brighten his mood. “I’m sorry about wh-“

“I don’t want to talk about it Molly,” said Artie quietly, turning back to open the changing room door. “Not before a game.”

“Artie stop,” said Molly, putting a hand on his arm. “Please don’t do this.”

“I just want to go and play Quidditch Molly,” said Artie, sounding even colder than he had before. “We can talk later if you want.”

“I really don’t,” said Molly, as she pulled on his navy blue sleeve. “I’d rather give you a good luck charm.”

Artie turned his head and looked at her, his blue eyes looked bright and curious. She had been sure that he remembered what her good luck charms were, what she had given to him.

“Molly,” he said quietly, and she pulled on his sleeve again, forcing him to take a step closer to her. “What are you talking about?”

She stepped in closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He ducked his head slightly and she kissed him softly. She wanted him to know that she wished him the best of luck, that she wanted him to win the game.

He returned her kiss, pushing her away when it obviously became too much. She ran her fingers through his hair and leaned forward again, kissing his chin. She watched as he closed his eyes and held her arms. “Molly.”

She pulled him down and kissed him again. He returned the kiss and she let him push her up against the door. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into him. She wanted this moment to last forever.

Molly felt herself falling as the door opened behind her, she had forgotten for a moment where they were. She felt Artie grab at her arms, and pull her back up to her feet. Ollie Jay, along with the rest of the team stood in the doorway, and Molly felt herself grow warm as the team all began laughing.

“I’ll see you when we’re done,” said Artie as he pulled her out of the way of the team. “We’ll talk when this is over.”

Molly nodded and Artie kissed her forehead, before grabbing his broom from Evan and following after them. Ollie Jay grabbed her arm and began leading her all the way up to the coach’s box.

Molly had been to the coach’s box before, but she couldn’t remember the last time she had been to the one at the Puddlemere stadium. Ollie Jay led her up through the halls that he seemed to know by heart, Molly was more than sure that he could walk these halls through his sleep.

Ollie Jay opened a door labeled ‘Coach’s Only’ and walked in as if he owned the room, which he kind of did. “They’re out on the field dad.”

“Good,” said Oliver as Ollie Jay sat down beside his father. Molly walked farther into the room, Oliver and Ollie Jay were sitting up at the front of the large windows that enclosed the box seats. A few rows behind them sat Katie Wood, her daughter and James’ wife Katie and her son Jay, with Molly’s Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny beside them. Two rows behind them, sat Maria Wood, Evan’s wife, and their two sons, Aaron who was five and William who was two.

Molly walked farther into the room and found herself being pulled into a seat beside Aunt Ginny. She had really been hoping that Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry weren’t sitting in the coach’s box, but she knew that Oliver wouldn’t pass up the publicity of having her aunt and uncle sit with him.

“Hi Jason,” said Molly smiling at the three year old boy who was sitting in Katie’s lap. “You excited to see your dad play?”

Jason took his fingers out of his mouth and instead of answering her, pointed out the window where the game had started. Or maybe they were running a few last minute drills, Molly couldn’t really tell, until James flew by and waved to them all, causing Jason to yell “Daddy!” at the window.

“He’s been excited for the last three weeks,” said Katie as she ran a hand over her son’s hair, trying to flatten it. Jason, looked just like James, messy hair included. “It’s been driving his sitter crazy.”

The game got started a few minutes later, and Molly watched as Artie saved three goals in quick succession. She had to admit, he could fly, not that Keeping required much fancy flying. Molly remembered him taking her out flying when they were younger, they sat on his broom together, with her holding onto him as they swirled and circled and played. Artie was an amazing flyer and would’ve been a great trick flyer if he wanted to be.

But he wanted to be a Keeper, and she could see why. He was playing a good game, and Molly found herself entertained by a Quidditch game for the first time in a long time.

She ended up climbing out of her seat and standing up by Oliver and Ollie Jay. Oliver had started pacing after Artie let in the first of the only three goals that would get passed him. While Ollie Jay sat and glared at whichever player made a mistake until the next one messed up.

Molly didn’t really enjoy watching Ollie glare at Artie, but she could understand why. The three goals that he let in had been minor accidents, with one being a plenty shot.

Aaron came and held onto Molly’s skirt when Evan started diving and chasing after the snitch. Puddlemere was up 230 to 30, with Evan and the Tutshill Seeker both going after the snitch. Molly picked up Aaron and held him in her arms as they both watched his father dive, then pull up sharply holding his hand up in triumph.

The first game of the season, Puddlemere United verse the Tutshill Tornadoes was over. The final score was 380 to 30, and was over by 2:45. Molly went down to the pitch with the others. The team was surrounded by the press, who parted with a glare from Katie Wood and Ginny Potter. Molly was thankful for the first time since walking into the coach’s box to be around her Aunt Ginny.

Molly was also happy that her Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry weren’t as noisy as her own parents, or some of her other aunts and uncles.

They didn’t ask her or even look at her when she ran into Artie’s arms and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Throughout this whole story, Molly and Artie will be coming to terms with the fact that they are adults now and not children like when they met. (Though I totally know that 20/21 year olds are NOT adults, I'm older than that and wouldn't want to be in this situation.) They will be pushed into mature situations and forced to deal with them as they come along, not always in the best or healthiest ways, but they will grow up throughout the timeline of this story.
> 
> I love Molly and Artie, but they are children right now and they act like children playing at adults. They are both very immature, but I'm excited to see how they grow and I'm excited for everyone else to read their story.
> 
> ~ Harry
> 
> PS: I'm not a sports person, please be nice about the Quidditch writing.


	6. Knock Me Off My Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Molly and Artie go to dinner at the Burrow, ready to face the cousins.
> 
> Tw: mentions of sexual content

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: mentions of sexual content

** Chapter Five: Knock Me Off My Feet **

By SOAK

_People don’t look at me the same,_

_I feel weird and something’s changed_

_But you’re still my home_

Artie pressed his head in between Molly’s shoulder blades, they had gotten home way too late. They had gone to dinner with James and his family and parents, something that Artie hadn’t expected. Molly was adored by her family though, all of her aunts and uncles and cousins seemed to love her more than the others.

Then they had gone to Evan’s, they had pushed their children off onto a sibling and broke out the alcohol. Artie got himself dealt into the poker game that always got started up at these parties and about halfway through the night, Molly came and sat on his lap and supplied them with drinks.

It seemed that Molly really was a lucky charm, not only had they won the most of the hands dealt, but Artie raked in quite a bit of gold from his teammates. It didn’t help that James and Kyle were shit at card games either.

Molly rolled over in their bed and smiled as their foreheads touched. They had come home a swaying, tired, mess together. They fell into bed together, but it was obvious that nothing other than a few kisses were shared.

He couldn’t deny himself that, Molly was a great kisser, she always had been, but before today, he had been the one to make the first move. Part of him still didn’t know why he had done it, he hadn’t been consumed by lust or love or anything else. He had just been curious if it would be the same as when they were kids.

It had been even better.

“Morning,” mumbled Molly as Artie put his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him.

“My head hurts,” Artie told her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He didn’t know how it happened, but suddenly they were kissing and he had no idea who started it. The truth was that he wanted her with all of his being, he wanted her and needed her.

His hands moved up her shirt and he heard her moan. She had once refused him this much, but now things were different.

He wasn’t sure if it was a combination of lust, tiredness, and need but Artie was quickly taking her clothes off. She moaned as his fingers made their way in between her legs and he kissed her neck. Her hands pulled at his hair and then brought his lips to her mouth.

It had been such a long time since he had seen her come undone. He could feel her beginning to fall apart as she moaned in his ear, “please, please.” He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her neck, her stomach, her mouth, any skin he could find as she pulled his hair.

She fell apart under his hands and he couldn’t help but smile at her. She was beautiful out of breath and flushed because of him.

“Thank you,” whispered Molly as she pulled the sheets around her. “I needed that.”

Artie laughed and Molly began giggling, as she rolled over and kissed the corner of his mouth.

“You’re welcome,” whispered Artie between kisses. “I think we both needed that.”

Molly giggled and he kissed her neck, this was the farthest they had gone since the summer before they broke up. There was something warm about this moment though, about Molly happy and wrapped up in his arms. She was still pink and warm and he was happy.

She kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Artie,” she whispered, as she brushed his hair out of his eyes. He was even more tired than before, but his headache was gone.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, feeling his eyes grow heavy again.

“I want us to work,” she whispered as she tucked her head into his neck. “I want this to work.”

~`~

Molly took a long, hot shower, feeling all of the knots and sore muscles in her shoulders and back begin to relax. She felt good, but tired after a long night, a long day, and honestly, a long week. She wanted to crawl back into bed with Artie, but she had work to do at the shop, she had responsibilities to her shop, to Lucy.

She got out of the shower and went to the bedroom, Artie had fallen asleep again after their morning roll around in the sheets. Molly pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater and changed quickly, before going back to the bathroom to do her hair.

She made a pot of tea, and poured a cup for Artie, bringing it to him in bed. He was still asleep, so she charmed it to stay warm and set it on the bedside table. Then she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

“Where ya goin’?” mumbled Artie as Molly went to the bedroom door.

“To the shop, I’ll be back before we go to dinner,” said Molly and Artie nodded before putting his face back into his pillow. “Please take a shower and wear the jacket I pulled out for you.”

“Mmm’kay.”

“Thank you,” Molly said, dropping another kiss to the top of his head. She left him in the bedroom and walked down the hall, feeling slightly giddy.

“How was the game?” asked Lucy as Molly walked into the back store room.

“It was good, I had fun,” said Molly as she put her hands on the back of Lucy’s chair. “Puddlemere won and Artie and I went to a party with the team at Evan’s.”

“We had the boys last night,” said Lucy as she swung her legs around and looked up at Molly. “I really can’t believe that Aaron is already five, even if I do see him every few days.”

“We watched Evan catch the snitch together,” Molly told her, as she sat down on one of the unpacked boxes.

“He talked about it all last night,” said Lucy, with a roll of her eyes. “Kept asking me why my hair was curly and why I wasn’t wearing my glasses and why my stomach wasn’t poking out. I think he forgot that you existed.”

“It has been quite a while,” Molly told her sister with a sigh, “maybe we should get the family all together again.”

“No,” said Lucy already looking stressed at the very thought of it. “I don’t think I could handle all of Devon’s sisters all at once right now. Maria is nice to me, but I don’t think Evelynn or Cara ever warmed up to me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” said Molly, though by the look Lucy was giving her she was sure that it was true. “Everyone loves you Lucy.”

“Everyone loves _you_ Molly,” corrected Lucy, as she folded her arms over her chest. “Even after you left dinner the other night, mum and dad were still raving about how Artie was a good guy and they always like him. They weren’t even that upset when the two of you didn’t come back, mum just served dessert and had us play charades.”

“Sorry,” said Molly as Lucy rolled her eyes again, “they shouldn’t have been angry at Artie anyways, I was the one who hurt him-“

“But we didn’t see that,” Lucy told her, and Molly could hear the anger in her voice, “all we saw was you crying your eyes out and refusing to say anything. I know I thought that he hit you or said something, or-“

“No,” Molly said, cutting her off, “Artie would never do that.”

“I know that now, but…” trailed off Lucy, and Molly waited for her to collect her thoughts. They knew when to interrupt each other and when to let the other finish. “It wasn’t him that I had to watch cry themselves to sleep every night, and it wasn’t him who I loved more than anyone else in the world. Molly, you’re my sister, and you’ll always come before any guy, no matter how nice or kind or good they are.”

“Even Devon?” asked Molly in a teasing tone.

“Yes, actually,” said Lucy and Molly smiled at her sister.

“Don’t put me before Devon,” Molly told her sister, even if she was unable to keep from smiling. “He’s your husband, the father to my future niece or nephew, and you have to live with him, not me.”

Lucy smiled, “it’s okay, he already knew.”

Molly rolled her eyes and stood up, she needed to get to work.

“Come grab me for lunch,” Molly told Lucy as she headed upstairs. She couldn’t help but notice that Lucy had cleaned up for her, the sink was empty of dirty dishes, the floor was clean and cleared up, and the clothes racks were organized.

The desk that Molly had set up with the sewing machine and their clothing designs and all of their cloth samples was still a mess. But that was how Molly liked it, it was the only way she could find anything.

She had put together a few different ideas when Lucy came upstairs with two bags in her hands. “I got fish and chips for you,” said Lucy as she set down the bag in front Molly.

“Thank you,” said Molly as she turned away from the dress she was working on. “I appreciate it.”

“So are you going to tell me about what happened the other night?” asked Lucy as she tucked into her own food. “Or am I out of the dark on that also?”

“I apologized,” Molly told her, because it really was as simple as that. She had apologized and they had gone home.

“That’s it?” asked Lucy before taking a bite of her sandwich. “Nothing more?”

“We went home and made waffles,” said Molly, thinking back to the other night. “Then we did the dishes and he kissed me.”

“He _what_?” asked Lucy looking up at Molly.

“He kissed me,” Molly repeated and then felt herself grow warm as she thought about what they had done that morning. Artie’s fingers between her legs, his mouth on her body, his hands all over her. She wanted to do more after, wanted to come undone under him, but was sure that it would’ve been too much, too soon.

“Merlin,” said Lucy tipping her head back and looking up at the ceiling. “How is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”

“Because we’ve been _busy_ Lucy,” said Molly, emphasizing on the word busy. “The holidays are right around the corner and Quidditch season has started and our sales are already up from last year at this time.”

“Have you been looking through the books again?” asked Lucy and Molly sighed.

“Yes, but you know I need to be ready to take over when you have the baby,” Molly told her and she saw Lucy began to look uncomfortable.

“I thought we were going to wait until after the holidays to do that,” said Lucy and Molly frowned. “I just don’t have anything quite organized yet.”

“I just wanted to compare where we were last year to now,” said Molly, taking a bite of her now cold fish. “I do most of the ordering, it’s important for me to know what we need more of.”

“I know,” said Lucy and Molly could hear her calming down. “I think part of me is just nervous to leave. This baby really came out of nowhere.”

“Lucy you’ve wanted to have a baby for the last year,” Molly reminded her, remembering watching Lucy cry over a negative pregnancy test just six months ago. “The two of you were trying for eight months before you got pregnant.”

“I know,” said Lucy repeating herself, “I know, it’s just so different now that I am pregnant. Did I tell you that I can feel the baby moving in there now? It’s so scary, I don’t know how Nana did it so many times.”

Molly giggled because this was the Lucy she knew, she worried and stressed about things that were out of her control, that would work out in the end. Lucy worried herself silly too often, too much.

“I’m here,” said Molly, because sometimes she knew that that was all Lucy needed to hear. “You will be fine.”

“Is it wrong that I’m so scared?” asked Lucy as she rubbed a hand over her stomach. “Because mum always brushes it off and I know that Alicia thinks I’m being overdramatic.”

“I don’t think you are,” said Molly, not really knowing how she would feel in Lucy’s shoes. “But I’ve never been pregnant so…”

Lucy giggled and they both went back to their lunch. Molly really didn’t realize how hungry she was until she started eating, she needed to stop skipping breakfast.

“The two of you going to the Burrow tonight?” asked Lucy and Molly nodded as she stuffed a few chips into her mouth.

“Need to apologize to mum and dad,” said Molly as Lucy took another bite of her sandwich, nodding.

~`~

Artie nervously fixed his jacket, he couldn’t stop fidgeting. Molly stood beside him, the box of biscuits he made earlier in her hands.

“Will you stop it?” asked Molly as they stopped for the second time on the walk from the road to the Burrow’s kitchen door.

“I’m nervous,” mumbled Artie, she had no idea how intimidating it was to face her family, her whole family.

“It’s just my family,” said Molly with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. It really wasn’t helping him feel any better about this. He was sure that her cousins and aunts and uncles weren’t going to think much about him. He remembered when he first started dating Molly, how they had been nice, but he always felt separated from them.

“You have no idea how scary that is,” said Artie, as he nervously played with the cuffs of his jacket. Molly had only asked him to wear the jacket, he had decided to match it with jeans and an old Hufflepuff shirt. He thought that he looked pretty nice, at least Molly hadn’t told him to change.

“You’ll be fine,” Molly told him, stepping over to him. “Stick with me the whole night if you need to. But I know Lucy and Devon and James will all be here, so you won’t be alone.”

It still didn’t help him feel any better, but Molly was leaving him behind, walking up to the house.

He caught up to her as she walked through the backdoor to the kitchen. Artie loved the kitchen at the Burrow, it was always warm and always smelled good. It reminded him of his own mother’s kitchen. He ducked his head slightly as he walked in after Molly.

“Hello dear,” said Mrs. Weasley as Molly hugged her grandmother, handing off the box of biscuits to Artie. “I’ve heard you had a long week.”

“It’s really been something Nana,” said Molly as Mrs. Weasley turned to Artie.

“Hello Mrs. Weasley,” said Artie, looking from Molly to her grandmother, then back to Molly. They had the same curls, the same brown eyes, and the same confident set in their eyes. “I brought some biscuits for dessert.”

Mrs. Weasley smiled at him and took the box out of his hands, before turning and setting them down beside a plate of brownies. Artie was sure that those had to be Molly’s cousin Rose’s brownies, and he knew that it was going to be tough competition on whose dessert was best.

“Why don’t the two of you wait in the living room with the others?” suggested Mrs. Weasley as Molly took Artie’s arm and began dragging him that way, “dinner will be ready soon.”

Artie allowed himself to be pulled into the living room, sure that Molly would’ve murdered him if he didn’t come along. Though he began to feel less nervous after how nicely Mrs. Weasley acted towards him. She didn’t really say anything to him, but he would take all the smiles and kind inflection he could get.

“Auntie!” called a voice as Molly walked into the living room, letting go Artie’s sleeve as she did so. “Auntie!”

Artie looked down and watched as Molly bent down and picked up a little boy. He had curly red hair and freckles the usual Weasley traits, but grey eyes and a pointy chin that he knew could only come from a Malfoy.

“Hello Hermes,” said Molly, blowing a raspberry into his neck, causing him to laugh. “How’s my favorite nephew?”

Instead of answering, Hermes continued laughing and grabbed at Molly’s hair and earrings. Artie had met Hermes a few times when Katie was babysitting him and brought him and Jason along to practices. Usually Hugo was with them, Molly’s favorite younger cousin and Hermes’ uncle.

“Sorry Molly,” said Hermes’ mother, Rose Malfoy from behind them. “He’s been asking for you all day.”

Artie turned to look at Rose, he hadn’t seen her since the summer after they graduated. She looked the same now as she did then, only with a bit more curves on her body. Rose had a little girl in her arms too, she couldn’t have been more than a few months old, and Artie couldn’t help himself from smiling. He got along pretty well with his teammates children, Jason, Aaron, and William all liked him or at least, they didn’t cry or get upset when he was around them.

“It’s okay,” said Molly as she pushed one of Hermes curls out of his eyes. “I don’t mind at all.”

“I guess you’re not running after him all day like I am,” said Rose as Hermes reached for her. Artie watched as they switched off, Molly taking Rose’s daughter and Rose taking her son from Molly.

“Rose you remember Artie, right?” asked Molly as she looped her arm through his. He felt himself start to calm down with Molly touching him, with her so close to him, he felt protected.

“Yeah,” said Rose turning to smile at him, “I heard you won your game yesterday.”

“It could’ve gone a bit better,” said Artie, he knew that it went well, but part of him couldn’t stop thinking about the three goals he let in yesterday. “I was hoping for a no goal game.”

Molly laughed jostling the baby in her arms, and Artie noticed that Rose was watching the bundle in Molly’s arms carefully. He really didn’t know too much about babies, but he did know that they didn’t like to be bumped or moved around too much.

“Rose she’ll be fine,” said Molly, as she met her cousin’s eyes. “This isn’t my first time holding Athena.”

“She’s just so hard to calm down,” groaned Rose as Molly carefully touched the baby’s face. Seeing Molly around children, Artie remembered how she used to sit outside the NICU and watch the babies inside.

“She just has a lot to say,” said Molly as Rose’s husband, Scorpius came up behind her. “Right Scorpius?”

“I don’t know if I should agree with you or not,” said Scorpius as he leaned down and kissed Rose’s cheek and Hermes’ forehead. “I don’t want to get into trouble.”

Molly rolled her eyes and Artie couldn’t help but laugh at her, she always had to be right.

“I’m just saying,” said Molly and already Artie could tell that this was going to be blown out of proportion. “Is that she can’t be that difficult. She may be half Weasley, but she’s also half Malfoy and their calm arseholes.”

Scorpius and Artie laughed, probably louder than they should’ve as it got them quite a bit of attention, but it didn’t wake baby Athena in Molly’s arm. Instead, she stayed asleep, with her wispy red hair sticking up and her tiny arms moving slowly around her face. She was very cute, and a small part of Artie couldn’t wait to have children of his own.

He never thought too much about having children, never thought about having a little boy or girl look up to him and call him ‘dada’ or ‘daddy’. The very thought of it was giving him chills that ran down his back.

“Scorpius can you take her?” asked Molly as she held baby Athena out to her father. “I need to talk to Artie about the biscuits he brought.”

Scorpius took his daughter and Molly grabbed Artie’s arm yanking him out of the living room and upstairs. They walked up one, two, three flights of stairs until she pushed him into an empty bedroom.

“Artie,” said Molly, stressing the syllables of his name, “you need to calm down.”

Then she pulled his pants down.

~`~

Molly kissed Artie’s thighs.

She truthfully could not remember the last time she had been in between his legs. Part of her was enjoying his squeamishness, his nervousness, but the other part of her was getting more and more annoyed. She wanted him to relax, to calm down and act like he did around her.

Molly rolled her eyes and met Artie’s eyes as his hands tangled into her hair. She held his hips and each little moan and sigh spurred her on.

It was also a better thank you for this morning, she hadn’t expected it, but she felt amazing all day.

She pulled away and gave him a toothy grin when he was done. He smiled down at her as she got to her feet again.

“ _Please_ can you calm down?” asked Molly as Artie pulled his pants back on. “If anyone makes a stink tell them off, I don’t care who it is. Make yourself at home, hold a baby there’s quite a few around here, make conversation. If you really want to hang out at my side all night, then that’s okay, but my cousins are probably going to drag each of us off at some point.”

“Okay,” mumbled Artie, not meeting her eyes.

“Artie,” said Molly softly as she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re a lovely person. Just take a deep breath before we walk out of here, I promise that no one is going to attack you.”

“Molly, there are aurors here, they could make me disappear if they wanted to,” Artie told her and Molly couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“Artie,” she said through a small gasp, “Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron would never do that, and Scorpius doesn’t have the energy to do anything like that. Al isn’t even an auror anymore, he’s teaching at Hogwarts. The only person you’re in danger of is my mother, and that would be because we left dinner the other night without saying anything and she couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“I can’t believe you talked me into it,” said Artie as he put his hands in his pockets.

Molly rolled her eyes and leaned forward kissing his chin, she could feel him calming down at her touch. He ducked his head and kissed her softly, and Molly could feel him starting to relax again.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he pressed his forehead against hers. “Family’s never been my strongest suit.”

“I know,” said Molly as she played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “But you can trust me on this one, I’m an expert on these people.”

Artie smiled and Molly returned it. It’s been so long since she had a real repertoire with anyone other than Lucy.

“What are you most worried about?” Molly asked, as she pulled him out of the bedroom.

“That they blame me for everything that happened in between us, like the other day at dinner,” said Artie as they walked back down the stairs.

“Believe me on this,” said Molly as she stopped on the second floor landing. “Everyone in the family already knows about what happened the other night, it was why Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry and James didn’t say anything to me at lunch yesterday. Even when you went to the bathroom the other day they didn’t say anything to me.”

“Your parents are still upset, aren’t they?” asked Artie, as Molly laced her fingers through his. “I know my mum would’ve been angry with us for walking out in the middle of dinner.”

“They’ll get over it,” Molly told him, because she knew that her parents wouldn’t hold a grudge against either of them.

“Still not reassuring,” said Artie as Molly pulled him back down the last few steps.

“Its _fine_ ,” said Molly with a sigh, she was really starting to think that they were barely going to get through dinner.

“I know,” whispered Artie so low that Molly almost didn’t hear him, but then he put a hand on her lower back and she knew that they would really be fine.

~`~

Artie sat in between Molly and her cousin Dominique, he forgot how weird Molly’s cousins could be. He was used to James and his eccentrics, Artie was usually put together with the Chasers, so he spent quite a bit of time with James, Micah, and Mattie.

He was quickly remembering that Dominique talked with her hands; that Lily always leaned forward whenever she talked; that Freddie laughed at everything and Roxanne only smiled at jokes; and that Hugo couldn’t hold a conversation for longer than a few minutes.

Then there was their significant others; Dominique was dating Lorcan Lovegood, and he wasn’t much of a conversationalist; Lily was married to Ryan Thomas, one of the adopted Finnigan-Thomas children and he didn’t listen to anything anyone was saying; Freddie was married to LeeAnne Bell and they had their hands full with their six kids, including their newborn twins Daniel and Hayley; Roxanne was dating Sean Finnigan, who was alternating between yelling down the table at Rose and talking to Devon about their jobs; and then there was Hugo’s girlfriend Lyla Zabini who was shaky and nervous and a bit standoffish.

Artie was quickly figuring out that he didn’t really care for any of them, but Molly was in her element. Mostly because she could juggle her family better than anyone else seemed too. She was jumping in and out of conversations with her cousins, their significant others, her aunts and uncles, even the children sitting at the table.

He didn’t want to admit that he was impressed, but he was.

“Don’t you have more cousins?” Artie whispered in the lull of conversation. “Like at least four more?”

“Victoire and Sirius are in France right now, Louis and Mia are about to have their first baby and Louis doesn’t really come around to these anyways, Al is teaching at Hogwarts and won’t be around until the holidays, and Teddy’s youngest daughter is sick so they stayed home,” Molly whispered as she reached across him and grabbed a roll. “Usually the whole family doesn’t show up.”

“Then why are they all here?” asked Artie as down the table, he saw Percy Weasley stand up.

“Thank you everyone for coming,” said Percy as he held his wine glass in his hand. “As all of you have heard or… _read_ , Molly has recently gotten married. So I would just like to be the first one to welcome Artie into the family.”

He smiled and Artie suddenly felt like he had a bullseye on his back. The whole Weasley brood was staring him down as Percy took a sip of his red wine, glaring down at Artie.

“Thank you, everyone,” said Artie holding his glass up. “You’ve all been very welcoming.”

“How come none of us were at this wedding?” asked Freddie, as he dropped his knife and fork and glared down at Artie.

“Because we were drunk and it was in the middle of the night and because it doesn’t matter if you were there or not,” said Molly returning her cousin’s glare.

“At least Lucy had all of us there,” said Dominique quietly from bedside Artie.

“At least we didn’t get pregnant at sixteen,” Molly shot back at her, and Dominique reached out to grab her.

“Does everyone always have to bring that up?” shrieked Dominique as she tried to reach pass Artie to get at Molly. He tried to push back Dominique, as Lorcan wrapped his arms around her to hold her back. “I know I messed up at sixteen, but I’ve worked really hard to turn my life around!”

“And I don’t need to be reminded that everyone else did this better than me, Dominique!” Molly told her as she stood up, which Artie realized was the better idea than trying to reason with Dominique.

“You have no reason to be angry at Dominique, Molly,” said Lucy in a bored tone, “really, you should be angry at dad for being an arsehole to Artie.”

Artie grabbed Molly’s arm and pulled her out of the room, already knowing that he didn’t want to get into a fight with the whole Weasley family. “Molly, calm down,” he told her as she pulled her arm out of his grip.

“This was a mistake,” said Molly as there was a loud noise from the other room. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“No!” said Artie a little too quickly, “I don’t care what they think of me.”

“Sure you don’t,” said Molly with a small laugh, “you were so nervous a half hour ago that a blow job couldn’t get you to calm down.”

“Look,” said Artie taking her face in both of his hands, “I know that your family is really important to you, but you’re important to me. I can deal with your family for you.”

Molly’s bottom lip trembled and Artie couldn’t help but think of how vulnerable she was. Even when she was sick, when she was hurting, when she was down and out, she didn’t look this weak. Artie didn’t like it.

“I don’t want you to be in bad graces with my family,” said Molly as he wiped away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “I don’t want anyone to think less of you or me, because of how we ended.”

“You should tell them that,” Artie told her as he pressed his forehead against hers. “ _We_ should tell them that.”

Artie could feel Molly smiling against his lips as he kissed her. It was a sloppy and weird and sweet kiss, but Artie loved it, all of it.

Artie smiled as he pulled away from her, and he let her lace her fingers through his as they walked back into the other room.

“Everyone,” said Molly in a loud clear voice, causing the whole room to grow quiet. “This is Artie Jacobs, _my husband_. Who I married while drunk in the middle of the night, and who I once dated back when I was in school. He broke up with me because I cheated on him with Zachary Wakes, and I broke his heart. We are trying to make this work, so we would like it if you didn’t judge us or try to sabotage us throughout this process.”

Artie stared at her, along with everyone else. She looked so determined and beautiful as she stood taller than everyone else. He sat down the same time as she did and went back to his food as the conversation floated on around them.

Molly’s fingers were still laced in his.


	7. I Don't Want To Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie had a lunch with her Aunt Astoria and Uncle Draco, and say a few things that they need to get off their chests.

** Chapter Six: I Don’t Want To Know **

By Fleetwood Mac

_I don’t wanna stand between you and love,_

_Honey, I just want you to feel fine_

Molly curled up in bed, her head tucked into the space between Artie’s neck and shoulder. He had a hand thrown back, holding her against him, she felt warm and hazy pressed up against his back; it was a space she liked to be. She untucked her arms from her own chest and wrapped them around his. He mumbled something that she couldn’t quite hear, then he rolled over and kissed her forehead.

Morning kisses were becoming part of their routine, just like night kisses before they went to bed. Molly liked all of it, she liked the warmth that filled her heart whenever their lips found each other’s.

Molly was slowly beginning to remember how touchy-feely Artie was in the mornings. When he wasn’t quite awake yet and everything was warm and fuzzy. Usually he put his glasses on while they laid in bed together, cuddling with each other. It had been weird the first time she woke up to his head tucked into the space between her shoulder and neck, but she liked it the more and more it happened.

They had their first real date the night before. Artie had a short practice the day before as their next game was today, and as a treat he had taken them out to dinner. They had started the night in a high class, fancy restaurant and ended it in a small dirty pub doing shots of tequila for her and rum for him.

Molly could feel the beginnings of a horrible hangover pounding in her head, but she was happy that they still had some clothes on. She wanted to remember the first time they had sex together as two consciously married persons.

“Last night was fun,” mumbled Artie before he pressed a soft kiss against her neck. “But thank Merlin that the game isn’t until one this afternoon.”

Molly giggled as Artie began sucking a hickey into her skin. She missed having someone want her in this way, want her like this. The first summer that they had been dating, Molly would get into trouble because of the bruises on her neck and shoulders that Artie would put on her. Her parents had thought that she had gotten sick again, only for it to turn out to be Artie putting them on her.

“Do you have any hangover potions?” asked Molly as Artie put his hands on her hips, pulling her close to him. She should’ve known the answer, but Molly was still learning how to properly navigate the apartment, everything was organized, but the placement just didn’t make sense. The way the kitchen was set up was more than proof of that, and he kept the potions in the kitchen instead of the bathroom like Molly always did.

Not that she was really the most organized or clean person to live with. The bedroom floor had dirty clothes all over it, and the bathroom counter was covered in makeup and hair potions that she used. But she knew exactly what was where.

“Coffee,” said Artie as he trailed kisses over her shoulders. He still smell good from last night, a mix of his deodorant and cologne that almost made her rip his clothes off. She had been able to get him down to his boxers at least.

Molly sighed blissfully and let Artie pull her shirt off, she didn’t know when this started to become a normal occurrence. She also didn’t know when she had started to wear his shirts and sweaters to sleep, but they were more comfortable than her own now that she started. His hands massaged her breasts and she let out a small moan, as his mouth followed after his hands. She felt warm, and wanted, and needy.

“Fuck,” mumbled Artie, as she felt him hard against her inner thigh, and Molly couldn’t stop herself from giggling, not caring if it ruined the mood. She felt him smile against her breasts and start laughing with her. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Let’s take a shower,” suggested Molly as one of Artie’s hands rested on her hip. She wanted to keep going, but the pounding in her head was getting worse. “My head is killing me.”

“It’s all that hair,” Artie whispered as he came back up and Molly put her hands on both sides of his face and pulled his mouth to hers.

They took a shower together, Artie helping Molly wash her hair and his hands going a few different places that they didn’t belong. Her own hands and mouth found their way around his body. She found herself enjoying the teasing and touching, knowing that Artie was also enjoying it. She really wanted them to always have this connection.

Molly felt better after her shower, but the pounding in her head came back as she got dressed in one of Lucy’s old Weasley sweaters, which was navy blue and yellow, and a pair of leggings. Artie put on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and wrapped his scarf around her neck, as they headed out to Diagon Alley. They needed to take a quick trip to the shop before they went to lunch with Molly’s Auntie Astoria and Uncle Draco.

Molly knew that the last time Artie had been in the shop, was the day they found out they were married. But she still felt nervous as she opened the door and let him in behind her. Lucy sat at the cash register, while Libby and Mason were cleaning and stocking.

As disorganized and messy as she was in her personal life, Molly loved for the shop to be clean and stocked. She handled the front room and most of the ordering, while Lucy handled the books and receipts, it wasn’t a perfect system, but it worked for them.

Molly walked up to Lucy at the counter, setting the box of donuts she and Artie had picked up from Finnigan’s Bakery. She loved being just down the street from the bakery, it made the whole street smell like vanilla and sugar and cinnamon in the early hours of the morning. Molly used to wake up in the early hours of the morning to that smell, it always made her so hungry. She knew the days that Rose worked and the days that Mr. Finnigan worked, and knew that those were the days she could get away with showing up at their backdoor for an early morning treat.

“I got some treats for everyone,” Molly told Lucy as she opened the box to show off the donuts inside. Artie had already taken two out, eating one in the bakery and the other as they walked down the street.

Lucy immediately went for one with sprinkles and Molly giggled at her, she knew her sister so well. Lucy rolled her eyes at her and Molly picked up the other one with sprinkles, as she knew herself.

“Did you bring these from the bakery?” asked Mason, who was the youngest of the Finnigan children and worked both at the shop and bakery part-time. “I had to make all of these.”

“I got you one of Rose’s cupcakes,” Molly told him as she handed him a delicately frosted chocolate cupcake, which she knew was his favorite. “And yes, it’s chocolate.”

Mason smiled and gave her a quick hug as he walked away with his cupcake in his hand. She desperately hoped that he wouldn’t make a mess over the merchandize.

“Molly!” called Artie from the men’s section, by one of the front windows, “what is this?”

Molly walked over to see Artie holding up one of the Hufflepuff pride shirts that she had designed. It was one of the first shirts they had made for the shop, and also one of their best sellers. All of their house pride shirts did well, but this was one of Molly’s favorites. “I made that,” she told him as he unfolded it completely before her.

“This is my drawing though,” he said quietly, almost too quiet for her to hear, and Molly suddenly felt nervous, sure that he was upset. “I made that for you.”

“Yeah,” said Molly as she reached out and touched the cartoon badger that he had drawn her five years ago when he had first figured out she was a Hufflepuff. “I thought it would be cute on a shirt.”

She still had that drawing upstairs in her old bedroom, hanging up on the wall. She still liked it, it was the first gift that Molly ever received from a boyfriend.

“I’m going to buy this,” he said, smiling at her as he threw it over his shoulder. Molly wanted to fold it back up and take it to the front, but stopped herself from doing so.

“You can just have it,” Molly told him, already thinking about how this would affect the numbers for the day. She was the owner though, she was allowed to take a few things, Lucy and her were constantly taking things for themselves, and Lucy took things for Devon also. “Anything you want is on me.”

“I’m going to buy it, its fine,” he said as he started looking at the different Quidditch team shirts, which were just a few feet down from her. “I knew I should’ve come here sooner.”

Molly went back to the counter to finish her donut and watched as Artie continued to look through the clothes in the men’s section. There were so many shirts and pants and sweaters and jackets that she wanted to dress him in. So many clothes that she had picked out in her head already that she could dress him in, it was much better than sending things to her cousins.

“Come here,” whispered Lucy as she pulled on Molly’s sleeve. They went into the back room and Molly sat down in the chair while Lucy leaned against the desk. “What’s going on with you two?”

“Do we not act like a married couple?” asked Molly as she crossed her arms over her chest. She knew that she was getting a little too defensive, especially because this was Lucy she was talking to.

“Almost too well,” said Lucy with a sigh, before continuing on, “Devon wants us to all have a double date sometime next week.”

Molly sighed and unfolded her arms, before looking up at her sister. “I don’t know if we’re quite ready for that yet.”

“The two of you are so in sync though,” whispered Lucy and Molly giggled, she didn’t know if they really were, but if Lucy was saying that they were then they must be.

“I honestly don’t get it,” Molly whispered back, as Lucy climbed on top of the desktop. “I mean we haven’t had sex yet, but-“

“My morning sickness has not passed quite yet,” interrupted Lucy, closing her eyes in disgust, “I don’t need to know what the two of you do in the bedroom.”

Molly laughed and Lucy cracked a smile and began giggling. It was only funny because Molly knew way too much about Devon and Lucy’s sex life, including when they started trying for the proof of their sex life hiding under Lucy’s shirt.

“Sorry,” Molly told her, not really sorry at all, and Lucy rolled her eyes. “But we can all see the proof that you and Devon have had sex at least once.”

“Its fine,” she said, waving her hand and blushing bright red as she put her other hand on the bump of her stomach. “But let me know about that double date, Devon really wants to do it, and you know how hard it is to get him to go out on a date. He just always wants to stay at home.”

Molly smiled, as much as Lucy like to complain about Devon being a homebody, she really didn’t mind it. Lucy loved to get dressed up, but she was more than happy to stay at home and be with Devon. Molly was usually the one who got them out of their apartment and interacting with others. Though both Devon and Lucy did work with the public all day. Lucy at the shop and Devon at the WWN, the Wizarding Wireless Network. Devon hosted his own morning radio show on one of the three channels, then another show in the afternoon, he was always back home to Lucy by six though.

They kept the shop open until six every night, with one of them usually around to do the final count of the till and to lock up. On the days that they only had one of them in the shop, Libby would close for them, she would lock the till up in the safe with all the day’s receipts and whichever one of them opened the next day would take care of everything.

“Hey,” said Artie, popping his head back into the store room, and Molly could see one of their shopping bags in his hand. “We should probably get going if we’re going to make it to lunch.”

Molly looked from him to Lucy, “we’re supposed to have lunch with Auntie Astoria and Uncle Draco.”

“Have fun with that,” said Lucy as Molly got out of her seat. “Please do not talk to her about the baby shower.”

“You already know it’s coming,” Molly told Lucy as she hugged her, “and that Auntie Astoria loves to put together a good party. She did that baby shower for Mrs. Nott and she helped us put together the one for Rose when she was pregnant with Hermes.”

“It’s just too soon,” said Lucy as Molly put her hands on her sister’s stomach. They both knew what this meant, what Lucy’s fear was about.

“Don’t worry,” Molly told her, then went over to Artie, “everything will be okay.”

~`~

Artie wrapped his arm around Molly’s waist as they walked into the Dragon’s Egg Inn. Every time he had ever come to the Inn, he had been with Molly. Her other godfather, with Oliver being her first, Romulus was the Head Chef of the restaurant and married to the owner of the whole establishment.

“Molly!” called a voice from the front desk and Molly pulled him along after her to greet the girl standing there. “What are you doing here?”

“Having lunch with my aunt and uncle,” Molly told her as the girl walked out from behind the counter, an obvious baby bump showing through her shirt as she hugged Molly. “How are you Becca?”

Artie stared at the pair of them, suddenly remembering Becca Havings, who he was sure by the ring on her left hand was now Becca Lovegood, from school. Artie hadn’t been friends with her, or Rose, Scorpius, and Albus Potter, but they were all friendly. He knew of the drama that had been played out between the four of them just by dating Molly at the time, just as he knew about Dominique’s baby drama at the same time.

“This is my husband Artie,” Molly said turning to him and smiling. “Though I’m sure you’ve read about it.”

Artie smiled back at her, it was starting to feel like a joke the horrible article about their drunken wedding ceremony, a joke between them. He wrapped an arm back around her waist and pulled her against his side.

“It’s good to see you again Artie,” said Becca, turning to him with a large smile. “Good luck with your game today.”

“Thank you,” said Artie as Becca went back behind the desk and the paperwork she left there.

Molly and Artie went to the host stand at the restaurant entrance and were shown to a table in a private booth. Molly stayed tucked into his side and he felt her foot wrap around his ankle, he was enjoying this closeness that they were developing again.

It was funny to him that they were doing all of this again, and again, and again. It was like learning how to ride a broom again, though that was something that no one ever forgot. Part of him hurt to have to do this, but another part of him knew that he couldn’t forget how she hurt him.

“I told you that we were running late Draco,” said Mrs. Malfoy as she and her husband, Mr. Malfoy stood at the end of the table. “They have a Quidditch game today that they need to be at too.”

“Astoria,” said Mr. Malfoy in a tone that Artie was sure meant that he was annoyed. “ _I_ was waiting for _you_.”

“Molly dear,” said Mrs. Malfoy as Molly untangled herself from Artie and stood up to hug her aunt and uncle. “How have you been, love?”

Mrs. Malfoy held Molly’s face in her hands and kissed her forehead. Molly smiled up at her aunt and put a hand out to Artie, which he took as he stood up.

“Auntie Astoria, Uncle Draco,” said Molly, turning her head to look up at him. “This is Artie Jacobs, my husband.”

Artie kissed Mrs. Malfoy’s cheek and shook Mr. Malfoy’s hand, he didn’t know much about the Malfoy family, but he knew what side they were on during the war. He knew that the only reason Molly called Draco Malfoy uncle was because of his wife Astoria, and how her family hid Audrey and her brothers in their home during the war.

But he also knew that Draco Malfoy’s family paid for all of Molly’s medical bills. He knew that Scorpius Malfoy adored Molly and Lucy and that they adored him back. And he knew that Draco Malfoy wasn’t the man that his father was, simply by the way he choose to shake Artie’s hand.

Artie the half-blood.

“It’s good to see you again Arthur,” said Mrs. Malfoy and Artie immediately could tell that this wasn’t going to go well.

“Oh sit down,” said Molly as she sat down in the booth next to Artie’s shopping bag and pulled him down beside her. “The menu that Romulus and Remus put together looks great.”

“Has it changed?” asked Mrs. Malfoy as she picked up the paper menu in front of her. “I hate it when they take off my favorites.”

Artie looked over the menu as a way to not look at anyone else. He felt Molly tuck her foot back around his as before and felt himself relax. He was hungry, even after the two donuts and coffee that he had for breakfast. Part of him sure that it was from his own nerves of meeting Molly’s aunt and uncle.

When their waitress came over, a small girl with a name tag reading Sabrina, Artie was the only one to pass up any alcohol. This got him weird looks from the Malfoys and a giggle from Molly, but Oliver would’ve killed him if he showed up tipsy, let alone drunk. He would rather have a job than for Molly’s aunt and uncle to be impressed with him.

They put in their food orders when Sabrina came back with their drinks, and he listened to Mrs. Malfoy tell them all about the latest charity event she and Mrs. Nott had put together. Artie had no clue who Mrs. Padma Nott was, but Molly seemed to, so he nodded along with her whenever she spoke or asked a question. He knew this wasn’t how conversation worked, but he didn’t know what to say to the Malfoys.

He hadn’t even wanted to come along to this lunch visit, but Molly had asked him after he’d watched her read the letter from Mrs. Malfoy she got earlier in the week.

He had never been more relieved than when Sabrina brought their food over. He could busy himself eating longer than he could pretend to pay attention to the conversation flowing around him.

That was, until the conversation went to him and Molly.

~`~

“Molly, Arthur,” said Uncle Draco as Molly took a bite of her fish sandwich. “What are your intentions with this relationship? Where do you see this going?”

Molly looked over at Artie, because while they had talked about their expectations of their relationship, they didn’t really know how to tell anyone else about it. She felt Artie put a hand on her knee to help calm her. She had been sure that her aunt and uncle were going to ask her about her relationship with Artie, but she hoped by bringing him they wouldn’t ask anything.

She should’ve known better. She knew her family, her parents, her sister, her cousins, and her aunts and uncles, they were all different, but she knew each of them well enough to know where a conversation was heading. She had made a mistake in hoping that her Aunt Astoria and Uncle Draco would turn a blind eye.

She wasn’t even that close to them if she was honest, it was Scorpius who she and Lucy got along with best when it came to the cousin on the Greengrass/Phillips side of her family.

“Why you are asking us this?” asked Molly, unable to help herself. She was sure that her parents had put them up to this because she and Artie had refused to answer any of their questions. The truth mainly being that they didn’t have an answer.

“We’re just looking out for you,” said Aunt Astoria before Uncle Draco could answer, and it was confirming to Molly that her parents had asked them to ask Molly and Artie.

“No you’re not,” said Molly, she was completely uninterested in her food now and she had been looking forward to lunch. “Mum and dad asked you to have lunch with us and interrogate us on what’s going on.”

“That’s not true,” said Aunt Astoria, as Molly picked at her food. “We are concerned about you Molly.”

“We had thought that things were going well with that Carson bloke,” said Uncle Draco and Molly rolled her eyes, she and Carson had broken up after two months of dating. Carson had made it clear that he wasn’t in it for the long run, and Molly had been fine with that.

“I haven’t seen Carson in six months,” Molly told them and felt Artie’s hand leave her knee. “And I told you that it wasn’t going to work out between the two of us.”

“So you went running off with this one?” asked Aunt Astoria, pointing at Artie, and Molly couldn’t remember being this angry. “We don’t even know him!”

“I do,” Molly snapped, and she felt Artie put a hand on her arm. “I know him enough to not judge him like you are!”

“We just don’t want you to run off with a man who’s just after your business,” said Uncle Draco, and Molly knew that she was done. Without thinking, she climbed over Artie and began walking toward the entrance to the restaurant. She couldn’t even begin to believe that her family would think so poorly of her and her decisions.

“That was awkward,” said Artie speaking for the first time since Molly introduced him to her aunt and uncle. “I’m sorry that I caused that argument.”

“You know what I’m most angry about Artie!” snapped Molly as she paced in the front garden of the Inn, she couldn’t even remember how she got there. “You couldn’t even stand up for yourself, you just sat there and let them talk about you as if you weren’t even there!”

“Because I didn’t care what they had to say to me or about me,” said Artie as he cradled her face in his hands. She felt herself begin to calm down, though her heart was still racing. “I only care about what you think of me.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead and Molly let out a breath she hadn’t realize she had been holding in. All the stress was slowly leaving her, leaving her with the anger and betrayal of her aunt and uncle.

“Come on now,” he whispered as he took a step back and took her hands in his. “Let’s get to the game.”

“Okay,” said Molly, resigning herself to think about the conversation she had just had with her Aunt Astoria and Uncle Draco when Artie wasn’t around. “Let’s go then.”

~`~

Artie kissed Molly.

It was becoming more and more natural to kiss her, to touch her, to be with her. He had been worried at first that they wouldn’t work, that they would spend all of their time fighting, that they would grow to resent each other more than before.

But it wasn’t going that way.

Artie ducked his head and kissed her neck, happy not for the first time that they had the changing room to themselves for another twenty minutes. Molly began giggling in his ear as he sucked another hickey into her neck. He was enjoying himself a little too much with Molly in his arms.

“What time is it?” whispered Molly, as he pulled away from her. He checked his watch, they still had ten minutes.

“Ten to,” he told her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him.

“I should probably get going,” she told him as he held her closer to himself, not wanting her to leave.

Artie smiled down at her, she looked adorable in her worn down sweater and large scarf and black leggings. He couldn’t wait to get her out of her clothes, he needed a day in bed with just her.

“I’m sorry again about my aunt and uncle,” said Molly, as he tucked his head into her neck again. “They’re upset with me, not you.”

This was the third time she had apologized in the last half hour, and Artie knew how hard that was for her. Molly was used to being right, to only apologizing to her sister if anyone. Even when they had dated last she wouldn’t apologize to him unless she had done something so bad she felt it was warranted.

He had only gotten one apology from her last time.

“That wasn’t how they acted,” Artie told her, as she took a half step back into the wall. “Would’ve thought I was dirt on their shoes.”

“I know,” said Molly quietly, as she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. He looked at her, her brown eyes looked molten, but not as he had ever seen before. They were intense and he could see a fire slowly growing in them. “I’m going to tell them that they need to apologize to you if they want to keep up a relationship with me.”

“No,” said Artie, he knew already that they were making waves in her family. First her parents, then her cousins, and now her aunts and uncles. “Don’t do that to yourself.”

“Artie,” said Molly in a voice that brought him back to seventeen years old. “You’re my husband, I’m going to stand beside you, even if that means I have to fight with everyone to get you some respect.”

“You really don’t though,” Artie told her as he held one of her hands in his own. Her hands always got cold whenever she was upset, and right now they were freezing.

“I do,” said Molly, sounding more serious than he had heard in a while. “Because this isn’t just about me Artie. You deserve to have someone in your corner too.”

Artie pressed his forehead against hers and watched as she slowly closed her eyes. He had forgotten how intense she could be, how fiercely she fought for those that she cared for, that she loved.

He kissed her, feeling her relax under his lips, until she suddenly pushed him away as the door opened.

“ _What_ , in the name of Dumbledore’s shaggy white beard is this?” yelled Avery Hansen, who was one of the Beaters. “Jacobs is on time for once!”

“Shut up Hansen,” Artie told him as Molly laced her fingers through his. The truth was, the only reason they had been on time was because Molly had left her aunt and uncle at the restaurant after they had accused Artie of being a gold digger. Molly had told him that she had never been more embarrassed by any of her aunts and uncles before.

Artie had been sure that wasn’t true, but he wasn’t in the position to fight with her about it. He had never seen her breakdown like that before.

“I’ll be right back,” Artie told Avery as Molly pulled him towards the changing room door.

“Sure thing loverboy!” Avery called after them as they walked out the door. Artie let out a sigh as the door closed shut firmly behind them and Molly pulled him down the hallway of the Wasps’ stadium.

She stopped after they turned a corner and the changing room was out of sight. “Don’t think about what they said about you when you’re up there flying.”

“I won’t,” Artie told her as he pushed a stray curl out of her face. “I promise.”

Molly bit her bottom lip and looked worried, before she surged forward and kissed him. He could feel her worry and her anger and her sadness all in that one kiss, and he wanted nothing more than to take her pain away.

“Such a bloody liar,” mumbled Molly and Artie couldn’t help himself from snorting out a laugh.

“Am not,” he told her as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be fine, we can worry about it tomorrow.”

Molly sighed and didn’t meet his eyes, he really just wanted to take her back home, but he couldn’t let his team down, not today.

“Molly,” he said quietly and more gentle than he would’ve normally said her name. “Don’t worry about me, I don’t know your aunt and uncle enough for their words to hurt me. But _you_ getting all upset is making me more worried than anything else. Calm down for now, we can talk after the match.”

Molly nodded, and he kissed her forehead again.

~`~

The rules that the Puddlemere United team had in place for after game celebrations were ridiculous in Molly’s own opinion.

Whenever they won, someone had to host the after game party, ever since they got barred from a pub in Portree six years ago. The team captain always hosted after the first game, then afterwards they all pulled straws unless someone volunteered. Molly didn’t really want to go to a party that night, but the thought of getting drunk and not remembering the horrible conversation she had with her Auntie Astoria and Uncle Draco at lunch was tempting.

She was still pissed at them eight hours later, as she sat in the changing room beside Artie as Evan held out straws for all of them.

“I think Molly and I will pass this time,” said Artie as Evan turned to him, half of the straws still in his hand. “We had a rough morning.”

“What happened?” asked James as he took a straw from Evan, “did Uncle Percy come after the pair of you again?”

“No,” Molly told him, it wasn’t James’ business anyways.

“Come on now,” said James as he sat down on the bench on Molly’s other side and threw an arm around her shoulders. “Was it someone else? Get into it with Lucy?”

Molly took a deep breath and let it out slowly, she would punch James in the face right now if she could actually get away with it. She loved her cousins, but that didn’t mean she always liked them.

“I rather not talk about it James,” Molly said quietly and she watched as his face softened. “I just want to go home.”

James pulled her closer and kissed her temple; Lucy was closer to James than Molly was, the pair of them got close the year when Molly was in St. Mungo’s. Molly wasn’t jealous, she just wasn’t as close to everyone as she used to be, either because she had changed, or they had.

James was now a star Chaser who was married with a son. Molly couldn’t relate to him anymore, as much as she adored children and babies, she couldn’t rebuild a relationship on something she didn’t have.

“Okay,” said James in a sigh, “I got your back, but you owe me one, Mo.”

Molly hadn’t heard that nickname in years, not since she had started Hogwarts. Part of her was always sure that James was upset she hadn’t been a Gryffindor like him and Freddie and Roxanne and Rose all were. She had been told up until the minute the Sorting Hat had placed her in Hufflepuff that she belonged to Gryffindor house, as if the house owned her or something.

“Everyone,” said James standing up, “party’s at my place tonight!”

He turned around and winked at Molly before turning back to the team as they all yelled and shouted happily. Artie wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, kissing her forehead as he did so.

“Come on,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled her to her feet. “Let go home.”

It was the words that she had been waiting to hear since they arrived at the pitch.


	8. Shape of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie have a day of shopping and a family dinner. Growing closer and closer as the holidays come near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: sexual content

** Chapter Seven: Shape of You **

By Ed Sheeran

_I’m in love with the shape of you_

_We push and pull like the magnets do_

Artie smiled as he tucked his face into Molly’s curls. A month into their arrangement and things were going well.

“I’m so tired,” mumbled Molly as Artie tightened his hands around her waist and held her tighter. “I don’t want to work today.”

“Let’s play hooky,” whispered Artie as Molly looked up at him. Her face had a smear of mascara on her cheek and her eyes were still slightly bloodshot from the night before. They had gone out on a date, a real date that was just the two of them and no one else. The week before they had a double date with Lucy and Devon, and they had fun, but Artie wanted a little time of just them.

Molly smiled and Artie pushed her hair back behind her ear. “Okay,” she whispered and Artie let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “But Lucy will kill me.”

“Tell her you’re sick,” said Artie, and she giggled.

“Okay, but we need to do the Christmas shopping if we’re going to not go to work today,” said Molly in a demanding tone. “I got our names for the Secret Santa and I know you want to get some gifts for the team, and I want to get Lucy and Devon some things for the baby.”

“Have they found out what their having yet?” asked Artie as Molly moved her hands up his bare chest. “Or are Lucy and Devon one of those couples that don’t want to know the gender until the baby is born?”

“Lucy and Devon do not know what they’re having yet,” said Molly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I need to get a haircut too.”

“Please don’t,” Artie whispered as Molly began kissing his neck. He let out a sigh and wrapped his arm around her tighter. “I love your hair.”

“I just need a trim,” Molly told him between kisses, “It’s getting in the way.”

“Please don’t take off too much?” Artie asked her as he started to play with the ends of her hair. “I like having something to play with.”

“We’ll see,” said Molly as she looked at her ends, “but if I’m calling in sick, then I can’t go to see Sasha and get a trim.”

Artie really couldn’t remember the last time he got a haircut, he knew it was before his mother died, but he couldn’t quite place when. Molly ran her fingers through his hair sighing at the length of it. She had been bugging him about it for the last few weeks and Artie just couldn’t quite bring himself to do it yet.

“I’m going to call Lucy,” said Molly as she climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. “Do you want to start breakfast?”

Artie smiled, he knew what she was up to, she had gotten much better at cooking and being comfortable in the kitchen, but she had yet to start a meal that was more than tea and toast in the last month. He climbed out of bed as he heard Molly talking on her phone to Lucy, he was sure that Lucy wouldn’t believe her or him and it didn’t matter. He didn’t care and he was sure that Molly didn’t either.

He started by cutting up potatoes and peppers and onions and ham and sausage, throwing them in a pan and cooking them all together. He was beating eggs in a bowl and putting bread in the toaster when Molly came out of the bathroom, her face washed and her hair pulled back into a bun. She had put on one of his old Puddlemere shirts from before he joined the team.

Artie leaned down and kissed her as she started to fill the kettle with water for tea. He had started making coffee the second he had walked into the kitchen, but Molly loved tea, even though Artie definitely was a coffee person. He went back to the stove and poured the eggs into the pan and started to scramble them.

Molly buttered the toast, while Artie split the eggs between two plates for them. They sat on the couch together, and Molly began writing down names with present ideas next to them. She had got their Secret Santa names at the end of last month, they had Molly’s cousin Freddie and her Aunt Ginny.

It did work out as Molly was already planning on getting Freddie a present. Artie didn’t know too much about Freddie, or Molly’s Aunt Ginny, but he did know James, who was Freddie’s best friend and Ginny’s son.

At least he had Molly to point him in the right direction.

“I want to get Freddie some new clothes and Auntie Ginny will be happy with some Quidditch memorable,” said Molly as she wrote down some notes on her paper. “We’ll get Lucy and Devon some baby clothes and maybe a blanket. I already got something for mum and dad, which you can piggyback on…”

“What did you get them?” asked Artie as he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Some old board games that mum used to play with her brothers when they were kids, and a book of card tricks so dad can show off at New Years,” said Molly, as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “I got Uncle Rory and Uncle Liam some Kenmare sweaters from the shop, and I talked to Oliver last game and when we go to Kenmare, they’re going to join me in the coach’s box.”

“I take it they’re big fans of the Kestrels then?” said Artie as Molly crossed out a few names on the list. He saw Rose and Scorpius were jotted down, along with their two children, Hermes and Athena. He could also see that picture frame was written next to Freddie’s name, along with ‘LeeAnne?’, something that he wasn’t sure to ask about.

“I think that I’ll get Rose some new kitchen bowls and Scorpius that new David Higgs auror novel, and Hermes likes to read also…” she was beginning to talk more to herself than with Artie, and he let her mutter under her breath as he got up and took their plates to the sink. When he returned, she was tucking the list away into her purse on the coffee table.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he told her as she stretched her arms over her head. He couldn’t take his eyes away from her stomach as the fabric lifted up with her arms, exposing her hips and stomach.

“We should, ah,” he spluttered as she held the stretch, and he swallowed, his mouth dry, before continuing, “get going soon.”

“I should probably take one too,” said Molly as she lowered her arms and Artie caught his breath again. He didn’t know why he was suddenly so turned on by her stretching, he had seen her completely naked before, had had sex with her plenty of times, but this felt different. “You wouldn’t mind if I joined you, would you?”

His half hard erection did mind, but the rest of him was buzzing with a wanting energy. Artie smiled and Molly smiled back up at him and they both ran to the bathroom laughing. As soon as they reached the hallway, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder causing her to laugh even louder.

“Put me down!” yelled Molly through her fit of giggles.

Artie put her down on the bathroom counter and kissed her as he ran his fingers through her hair, pulling out her bun. Her giggles started dying as he began pulling her shirt off. His mouth moving down to her stomach and slowly moving back up.

“Artie!” yelled Molly with another giggle. “We’re supposed to be taking a shower.”

“I would rather we just had sex,” said Artie as he trailed his mouth along her chest.

“I don’t think I’m ready yet,” whispered Molly, and Artie could tell that the energy between them had changed. “At least not sober.”

Artie pulled away from her, she was pink and flushed and her hair was a mess. He suddenly felt embarrassed by his erection. He felt like an idiot.

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Molly, not meeting his eyes, “I just don’t think we’re there yet.”

Artie tucked a stray curl behind her ear, then leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth. Molly leaned forward as he pulled away and he kissed her forehead.

“It’s okay,” he whispered in her ear, “I’m not going to ask you to do something you’re not comfortable with.”

“I want to, but I don’t think we’re ready for us to take that step,” said Molly as he wrapped his arms around her, she put her head against his shoulder.

“Let’s take a shower,” said Artie as he pulled away from her, “we have a lot to do today.”

Artie started the water and Molly went to the hall closet to get them towels, he climbed into the shower and a moment later he felt Molly’s hands on his back. Obviously he was forgiven.

~`~

Molly loved Muggle London, she had been denied so much in her childhood that she sometimes liked to take indulgences as an adult. Having Artie with her, who had grown up in Muggle London and still lived in Muggle London, was a great wealth of knowledge.

“There’s a few shops that we can go to down here,” said Artie as he traced his finger over the Underground map in front of them. “Or we can go over here if you want something a bit more specialized.”

“I already know a few things that I need to pick up from the shop, but I can do that tomorrow,” said Molly as she looked at the map. “We should probably go to the first place, see if I can get Lucy and Devon some baby things, and I’ll probably be able to get Rose and Scorpius a few things there too.”

“Well if you want to get some kid toys and stuff, then we should probably go here,” said Artie, tapping a spot on the map north of them. “There’s a couple of children’s stores up there and a large homewares shop around there too.”

“Let’s go up there then,” said Molly and Artie double checked the train they needed to get on, before taking her hand again.

Molly could count on one hand the amount of times she had ever been on the Underground. Each time felt like she was on an adventure when she went on the trains. Artie sat beside her and held her hand as she watched the map light up with each stop, bringing them closer and closer to their destination.

Usually, she and Lucy did all of their Christmas shopping together, but now that they were both married and both moving forward in their lives, they had decided to get separate gifts for everyone. It was also giving Molly the opportunity to teach Artie about the family.

“Devon told me that he wants to do an owl theme for the nursery,” Molly told Artie as they stood in front of the baby blanket display. “But I think Lucy said something about elephants?”

She knew that Artie was over shopping with her now, they had been in one store for almost three hours. In the homeware store, they had spent an hour just walking around and looking at everything there, then another hour picking out gifts for the family. Molly had decided to get a few extra things while they were there for her grandparents and a few of her other aunts and uncles.

“It was the other way around,” said Artie as he rubbed the fabric in his hands. “I would go with the owls, I think their cuter anyways.”

Molly smiled at him and took the blanket off the display and put it in the basket in her arms. It was full of story books and toys and baby clothes with a few blankets mixed in. Molly readjusted the basket and Artie sighed and took it from her.

“This is too heavy for baby clothes,” whined Artie as they walked back over to the onesies. Molly picked through them looking for neutral colors, before remembering that Lucy and Devon’s baby would be wearing blue no matter what.

“The gray ones will go with the blanket,” said Artie as he pulled out a set of onesies that were all gray and white. “So will these blue ones.”

“I wish I had a baby to dress up,” said Molly, not realizing what she was saying until it was too late. She glanced up at Artie, but his face was impossible to read. “Sorry.”

Molly put both of the onesie sets in the basket and went to the check out. She used to wish to be married with a baby by the time she was twenty. Now she knew how ridiculous that was, Freddie and LeeAnne had six kids and they were twenty-two.

Once they were outside with all of their bags and packages, Artie put a hand on Molly’s arm and pulled her in between two buildings.

“Molly, you know how I feel about children,” he whispered, as he pulled her close. “I would love to have one or two kids, but if you don’t feel comfortable enough for us to have sex, then I don’t see us having children anytime soon.”

It was the first time that they ever spoke about having children, which had not been Molly’s intention. She had wanted to talk about their future for so long, but she was honestly afraid that it would cause a fight between them.

“I didn’t mean to say that,” Molly told him as she looked down at her hands. “It was a slip of the tongue.”

Artie’s face softened and Molly looked up at him, he was smiling, but Molly could see how sad his eyes were. She was sure that she looked just as sad.

“I know,” he said quietly, “I just know that I’m not ready for that.”

“Oh,” said Molly, reaching out to squeeze his hand in one of hers. “Same, I don’t know how any of my cousins are managing with one let alone as many as some of them have.”

Artie laughed and Molly smiled as he pulled her close again. “Well we know that Freddie’s insane.”

“He is,” agreed Molly, knowing exactly how insane Freddie was. “Let’s go get some lunch, all this walking around has made me hungry.”

Artie wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the little alley and down the street, keeping an eye out for a restaurant.

~`~

Artie stared down at the pile of wrapped boxes in front of the couch, Molly was asleep laying across the couch with bits of wrapping paper in her hair. She looked so soft, so warm, and inviting. He wanted to curl up with her and hold her in his arms and kiss every bit of bare skin he could find.

He leaned over the back of the couch and kissed her forehead. They had a good day together, the pair of them wandering around Muggle London and buying Christmas presents for her family. He learned quickly that her family had a lot of extreme tastes when it came to what they put in their homes, what their children wore, and what their children played with.

“Hey,” she said sleepily, “did I fall asleep?”

“Yeah,” Artie told her as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “Dinner’s ready too.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she threw her legs over the side of the couch and stood up. “I literally sat down for a second.”

“I know,” Artie told her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her into the kitchen. He made spaghetti with meatballs. “It’s okay.”

Molly climbed up on the counter and ate out of her bowl, while Artie leaned on her legs while he ate his own food. He had thought it odd that she liked to sit on the counter, until one afternoon they went to her parents’ house and he saw her father sitting on the counter, watching her mother move around the kitchen. She liked to sit on the arm of the couch too, something that her mother always did.

“I’ll go to the market down the road and get us some dessert,” said Molly as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Chocolate cake or ice cream?”

“Don’t we still have some of that pie that Rose sent us?” asked Artie as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“I ate the last of the crumble yesterday morning,” said Molly as she sat back up. Artie nudged her knees apart and stepped in closer to her, setting his bowl down next to hers. He held her face carefully in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers.

“Of course you did,” he muttered as he held her face close to his own. “You ate the last of the bread pudding the other morning too.”

“I have a sweet tooth,” whispered Molly, but she was smiling against his lips. “You’ve always know that.”

Artie kissed her softly, before she pulled away and climbed off of the counter. “I’ll be right back,” she told him as she slipped out of his arms and headed to the closet where her coat and boots were.

Artie let out a long sigh as soon as the door closed behind her. He started to clean up the kitchen and put away the leftovers. With a single wave of his wand, all of the pots and pans started to empty their contents into Tupperware and put itself away. The sponges raced each other over the counters and stove, scrubbing and cleaning as they went.

The bowls were just finishing cleaning themselves when Molly came back in with a bag in her hands. “I got cake and popsicles,” called Molly as she took off her snow covered boots and jacket. “They were on sale and I couldn’t help myself.”

“Of course,” said Artie as Molly handed him the box of orange and cream popsicles. “I really wouldn’t expect anything else.”

Molly smiled and Artie watched as she carefully pulled out a small iced cake. They ate dessert together every night, the pair of them either sitting on the couch or in the kitchen and sharing what happened that day. They didn’t always get the chance to eat dinner together, but being able to eat one meal together and talk to each other was keeping them close.

As Artie usually made dinner, Molly was in charge of dessert, mainly so they had something that she liked to eat. If they didn’t have any leftovers from family dinner, or if Rose didn’t send them anything over the week then Molly went out to get them something.

Usually she got them something chocolatey and delicious, or something fruity and super sweet.

“Here,” said Molly as she cut off a large portion of cake and handed him two forks. “I’ll meet you in the living room.”

He went out and sat down on the couch, pulling the afghan that Molly kept on the back of couch on to his lap. Molly sat down beside him a moment later and tucked her head over his chest. Artie grabbed the piece of cake off of the arm of the couch as Molly flicked her wand at the TV to turn it on.

She kept flicking her wand to change through the channels, until she landed on Dr. Who.

Artie smiled and took a large bite of cake, remembering the night they met. Five years ago when he got struck by lightning, and she was in treatment for Leukemia. Five years ago, he met a tiny whisper of a girl, who he would grow to love.

He looked down at Molly, who was staring forward at the screen. Five years was a long time, but not long enough.

~`~

“Artie!” yelled Molly as her heartbeat started to slow back down. She would never get tired of how he touched her, how he kissed her, how he pushed her to the edge and over. Artie’s face popped out from under the blanket and he smiled at her. “Artie!”

“Shh,” he mumbled as his lips pressed against her ear. “I got you Angel.”

‘Angel’ was new and every time she heard it, she wanted to jump him. She was trying to come up with a nickname for him, but nothing seemed to really fit.

His mouth traced along her jaw and down her throat, his hands were all over and in every place she wanted them. “Artie,” she moaned as one of his hands grabbed her arse, while the other wrapped around her chest, pulling her onto of him as they rolled over.

“Fuck,” groaned Artie as her weight settled on his erection. “Molly, please?”

Molly hesitated as she put a hand on his chest and the other on his abdomen. She wanted him so badly, wanted to take the next step, move forward.

But she didn’t want it to end badly, she didn’t want to ruin what they had together. She was happy with how things were going between them, hell, her parents were starting to like him since he brought over fresh bread for dinner two weeks ago.

“Artie,” she said quietly, keeping herself at a distance, and she watched as the lust in his eyes started to die. “We talked about this.”

Artie sighed and took his hands off of her hips, and Molly suddenly realized that he had tried to set it up so it was easy for her. So she was in control, but she didn’t want to have the only say.

She really wanted to fuck him, make him come undone underneath her body. She wanted to see his face blissful and happy.

Molly kissed him and went under the covers, pulling his boxers off as her lips trailed down his stomach, his abdomen, his thighs. She kissed his cock and pulled it into her mouth, getting a moan from Artie as she did so.

She wanted him, wanted him underneath her, wanted him on top of her, she wanted to fuck him so hard. Her every nerve needing him.

“Fuck me,” he muttered as he tipped his head back as Molly began sucking on his tip softly. “Merlin Angel.”

She put her hands on his knees, pressing them down into the mattress as he put his hands into her hair. She pulled him in deeper, getting a round of loud moans as he pulled on her hair.

“Molly, Molly!” he moaned as she took him even deeper, “fuck Angel, I can’t!”

She pulled away, and she saw that his face was flushed bright red and that he was panting slightly. She climbed back up to his mouth and kissed him softly, before climbing out of bed and going to the bathroom.

When she came back in her night shirt, she climbed back into bed on top of him. She kissed him softly again, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“That was wonderful,” he mumbled into her ear as he pulled her closer.

She smiled and kissed him again, hitching her leg over his hip and wrapping herself around him.

“Thanks Babe,” she whispered as she tucked her head under his chin and hugged him close to herself. She felt so in sync with him, so happy and warm.

She felt blissful and happy as he played with her hair and slowly fell asleep.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes with a groan, it was too bright in the bedroom and Molly was gone. He listened as he rubbed his eyes, hearing only the sound of the coffee maker in the other room. He looked around and saw a trail of clothes on the floor and one of the dresser drawers still opened. The blinds had been thrown open and Artie knew this was an attempt for her to see in the dark.

He found a note next to the coffee maker, which was bubbling away happily. He read through it twice, before pouring himself a cup of black coffee and taking a long sip.

_Artie Babe,_

_I had to go into the shop quite early this morning to take in a few shipments before we’re closed for two days. I promised Lucy yesterday that I would do it, I also had to finish up a few last minute gifts before we opened this morning._

_Lucy and I are planning to sneak away around 1 if you want to join us for lunch._

_XOXO Love,_

_Molly_

Artie took another long draw from his coffee cup, then realized that he hadn’t added anything to it and went to correct the problem. He had to admit, as he added his usual four spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee, that Molly wasn’t the only one with a bit of a sweet tooth.

He looked around in the fridge and in the cupboards for something to eat, but they had been putting off grocery shopping with how busy they have both been. Artie had been so sure that Molly wasn’t going to be able to skive off yesterday, but when she did, he had been happily surprised.

He would need to thank Lucy, and as he sipped his coffee and made a grocery list, a plan started to fall into place. He scribbled down a quick note and sent it off with the apartment complex’s owl before he got dressed and headed out.

When he got back with more food than he and Molly could really eat, even with him on a break from practice. They had quite a bit going on in the next few days, tomorrow night was the annual Quidditch League Christmas Eve party, and they had been invited to Molly’s Aunt Astoria and Uncle Draco’s Christmas Eve party, but Molly didn’t seem to want to go. They still hadn’t apologize to them for the way they acted at lunch a few weeks ago.

He wanted to put everything in the past and start over, just as he had done with Molly, but her aunt and uncle had hurt her in a way that she couldn’t take back.

They were going to the Burrow for Christmas after they opened presents at home, Molly had already sent over the Secret Santa gifts last night. He had been surprised with how well organized she was when it came to Christmas shopping and gift wrapping.

“I’m just breezing through for a moment,” called Molly as she came in the door, wrapped up in a thick sweater and large scarf. She looked windblown and her hair was a wild mess, just how Artie liked it. “I forgot my list of last minute things.”

Artie smiled and kissed her as she grabbed her list from where she left it on the refrigerator. She kissed him back, curling her fingers into his hair and holding his face close to hers.

“Hello,” he whispered before kissing the corner of her mouth, “thank you for the coffee.”

Molly smiled under his lips, “I’m sorry I left so early this morning, but I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“It’s okay,” he told her as he pushed her hair out of her face. “It gave me some time to think about dinner for tonight.”

“I’ll grab something from the bakery and maybe some wine? Though Lucy and Devon aren’t drinking right now…” she trailed off as she spoke, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close.

“I got wine already, I know your parents are fans of red, but I thought that white would go better with the chicken,” Artie told her, making her refocus on him. “Don’t worry about tonight, I got this taken care of. Just be ready to help me clean when you get back home.”

“Okay,” said Molly, before leaning forward and kissing him again, “I’ll be back around sixish.”

Artie smiled and kissed her forehead before Molly left in the same whirlwind that she came in with.

He got back to work prepping for dinner and had just put the chicken and potatoes in the oven as Molly came back in again. She had snow in her hair and several bags in her arms, a few of which she put in their bedroom and another that she brought into the kitchen.

“Hey again,” she said, as she quickly kissed his jaw and pulled a small pie out of the bag in her hands. “What do you need from me?”

“I’ll tidy up in here and set the table, if you could clean up the living room and sweep then I think we’ll be ready before everyone comes over,” he told her as she took off her scarf and walked out of the kitchen.

Artie watched as Molly danced around the kitchen and charmed rags to dust and clean up. He kept finding himself looking up from his own cleaning to watch her move around the room.

“Just come in,” called Molly as Artie pulled the chicken out of the oven to brush butter on the skin. “It’s unlocked.”

Artie felt slightly on edge as Molly’s parents walked in the front door, both of them in long jackets with snow in their hair. “Why are you keeping your door unlocked Molly?” asked Percy as Molly walked over to them to take their jackets.

“Because we’re both home dad,” said Molly as he kissed her cheek. “I make sure it’s locked every night.”

Artie was actually the one to do that, but he knew that it wouldn’t be worth it to correct her. He put the chicken back into the oven as Molly walked into the kitchen and grabbed the wine glasses out of a cupboard. She poured four glasses and pushed one into his hand as she took the others to her parents.

He really wasn’t trying to do anything too crazy or too impressive, he just thought that Molly would have fun playing hostess. He answered the door when he heard Lucy and Devon knock and took their jackets as they headed into the living room to join Molly’s parents.

“This is much nicer than your flat Molly,” said Percy as he sat down on the couch, his wine glass in one hand. “Artie you’ve done very well.”

“It’s better decorated now than before Molly move in,” Artie told her as he leaned against the wall. “It was pretty bare before.”

He looked at the pictures Molly put up on the walls one day when he wasn’t home, pictures of her family, of her friends, of his family and the team, she had gone out and got frames and hung everything up. He had been bit blindsided by it, but once he got used to it, he had to admit that he was happy about it.

It made the apartment feel like it was theirs, like a real home and not just a place to sleep.

“Wait,” said Lucy looking at the picture frames, “Molly put these up? She can barely hang up her clothes, let alone picture frames.”

Molly tsked and rolled her eyes at her sister before standing up from her seat on the couch. “I can hang up pictures Lucy.”

“What are we having for dinner tonight Artie?” asked Devon as he looked longingly at the glass of wine in Artie’s hand. “We were going to bring dessert, but we ran out of time.”

“Oh, I got pie for dessert,” said Molly before Artie could answer, which was probably for the best as he heard the timer go off in the kitchen. Part of him just wanted to disappear into the hallway closet, but he knew that wouldn’t go over well.

This had been his idea after all. Molly had wanted to have her family over to their apartment for a while, but Artie had been sure that they would judge their lifestyle. They had judged everything else they did.

Molly came into the kitchen a moment later and poured herself another glass of wine, he could feel the annoyance coming off of her in waves as she drank her glass and poured another.

“Hey,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, “I need you to at least try to stay sober.”

“I just don’t understand why they think we can’t get anything done?” said Molly as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I just feel so judged right now.”

“They’re all just probably hungry and tired from a long day,” Artie told her, then kissed her forehead. She relaxed in his arms, until they both jumped at the sound of the kitchen timer going off again. “Let’s feed them and get them out of here.”

Molly giggled as she walked back out into the living room, and Artie pulled the chicken out of the oven. He could hear bits and pieces of the conversation flowing out of the living room as he finished making the sauce for their dinner.

“That smells wonderful Artie,” said Audrey as she reached for the wine bottle. “Molly told me that you were teaching her how to cook.”

“It’s been quite the process,” Artie told her as he turned the heat off on his sauce pan. “But she’s a lot better than she thinks she is.”

“I wish that I had the opportunity to teach her more when she was younger, but we lost so much time with her in St. Mungo’s,” said Audrey as she came around the counter and pulled the potatoes and carrots out of the roasting pan. “But I got to teach her things that I didn’t have the chance to teach Lucy.”

“That’s hard to believe,” said Artie, mostly because Molly and Lucy were still so similar.

“Sometimes life takes you in strange directions,” said Audrey, and Artie smiled. He wasn’t sure if she meant to make the joke or if she was teasing him for his and Molly’s marriage. “Trust me, I didn’t expect to get married to Percy the same night he purposed.”

“I honestly never thought that Molly would come back into my life,” Artie told her quietly as he pulled out the chicken and began craving it. “But I would never be upset about it.”

“You know,” said Audrey, and Artie looked up when she didn’t continue, “Percy’s only hard on you because he’s worried about Molly, but I think that as long as you’re both happy, then you’ll be fine. Marriage is all about communicating, it’s all about compromise, and it’s all about doing the nitty and gritty things that you hate, but do to make the other person happy.”

“Thank you,” said Artie as Audrey grabbed the bowl of carrots and potatoes and the sauce pan, leading the way to the table. All the sudden, he felt as if he had someone on their side.


	9. Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quidditch League party! Molly and Artie remember being sixteen and seventeen again, featuring their first time together both as teenagers and as a married couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: sexual content, underage sexual content, pressure to be put into a sexual situation
> 
> I apologize for any awkward phrasing or wording, I don' really care to change any of it. I would also like to note that Molly and Artie are very young in both of these siuations16/17 and 20/21aren't that far off and they are not as mature as they think they are.

** Chapter Eight: Sixteen **

By Ellie Goulding

_While I dream of all the good times?  
When we were sixteen_

**Four Years Earlier - 2023**

Molly stared up at Artie.

Every part of her wanted him, needed him. She loved climbing into his bed after he finished Quidditch practice and showered. He was always tired and sore and it gave her the chance to make him feel a bit better.

She straddled his hips and ran her hands over his chest, before leaning down and kissing his neck. She could feel his erection pressing into her thigh as she kissed him.

“Artie,” she mumbled as he grabbed at the hem of her shirt and pulled on it. The first time they had done this, she had been scared and nervous, she was covered in scars from her surgeries and treatments, but he hadn’t cared.

Artie leaned forward and kissed her stomach, right where her port had been. He pulled her shirt off and immediately went to the clasp on her bra. His mouth moved in between her breasts and he kissed her nipple, before pulling it into his mouth.

She moaned softly as his other hand pulled down her shorts. “Artie please?”

Molly was still nervous about having sex with him, but she wanted to be with him so badly. She wanted to show him just how much she loved him. They had said it several times, and each time it sent a thrill through her body.

She helped him take off the boxers he had put on a few minutes ago. She let him push her back into the bed and onto the pillows. Artie reached into the space between the mattress and box spring and pulled out a small silver package.

He sat back as he opened the condom wrapper and rolled it on. Molly looked up at him, his eyes were darker than normal, filled with lust.

“I love you,” she told him as he kissed her neck. She closed her eyes as she felt him slide into her, it hurt, but she ignored it in favor for his hands and mouth on her.

She couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her legs around his waist and bringing his mouth to hers. She felt good, so warm, so happy. She wanted more, wanted him to make her come undone.

“Artie,” she moaned, as his hand finished her off. “Artie, please?”

He kissed her as she moaned into his mouth, panting slightly as they both came off of their highs.

She really couldn’t believe that she had gone this far and this fast with Artie.

“I love you,” he whispered against her mouth, “I love you, Molly.”

**2026**

Artie stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked into the bedroom and found Molly standing in the closet holding up two different dresses. He sat down on the bed as Molly held up each dress against her body and looked in the mirror.

She was only wearing her underclothes and Artie couldn’t help but watch her as she decided on which dress to wear tonight. He loved watching her get ready and put together.

“What do you think Babe?”

He felt his heart skip a beat as she called him ‘Babe’. He loved it, he had never been one to be branded, but hearing her call him ‘Babe’ was blissful.

“I like the yellow,” he told her as she held a yellow dress against her chest. She usually wore blue to all of his games and other events that he brought her along too, after game parties and team meals.

But he loved her in yellow. Yellow made her bright, made her stand out, made her eyes look like amber. Yellow was her color and made her beautiful.

“Thank you,” she said, sending him a smile as she put the other dress away and put on the yellow one. “How late does this thing usually go?”

Artie was quiet, he usually ended up passed out on one of his teammate’s couches, not moving until his hangover passed. He always ended up blackout drunk one way or another and waking up in an unfamiliar place.

“Not too late,” he told her, as he stood up to zip up the back of her dress. He pressed a kiss into the back of her neck, before she turned around and kissed him. Dinner last night had gone well once everyone sat down and had the chance to eat the food he made. Molly ended up being very happy by the time everyone left, but he felt like something was off at the same time.

Molly ended up needing to go to the shop in the morning and they missed each other all day, as Artie went out to get her the Christmas gift he ordered a few weeks ago right before she came home. Then they had to get ready for the party.

He got dressed in the dark suit that Molly pulled out for him and he couldn’t help but smile at the yellow tie. She had pulled it out when he was out, almost as if she had known she would pick the yellow dress. He sat on the bed and watched as she tried to arrange her hair into something she liked.

Artie stood up as Molly walked out of the bathroom, he had become used to her everyday makeup look, but she had definitely uped it for tonight. He had to admit that she looked firce with her sharp eyeliner.

“Wow,” said Artie as he reached out to take her hand and pull her close. “You look beautiful Molly.”

He was rewarded with a blush and her ears turning red. He smiled before leaning forward and kissing her. He pushed a stray curl behind her ear and held her face carefully in his hands as he kissed her deeper.

He was falling in love with her, but this time, it had hit him out of nowhere. When he fell in love with her last time, it had been as natural as breathing, he had just known that he loved her. He had woken up one morning with her in bed with him and known that she was the one for him.

“Hey,” she whispered as he put his hands on her waist and held her tight against him.

Artie smiled and pressed his forehead against hers, “hi Angel.”

“We should probably get going,” she whispered against his lips, before kissing him again.

Artie suddenly wanted to just take off their clothes and not leave their bed until the morning. He wanted her underneath him and he wanted to hear her moan his name. He wanted to fuck her so badly, needed to feel her come undone underneath him.

“Babe,” she mumbled as he pulled her bottom lip between his lips. “Come on now.”

She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, still keeping him close. “Okay,” he whispered, as he held her hips, “let’s get going.”

He didn’t want to let her go, didn’t want to move away from her.

She moved forward and kissed him again, before she took a full step back and walked to the bedroom door. He quickly followed after her and grabbed her hand as they headed out the front door.

Merlin, he was _in_ love with her.

~`~

Molly sat in between the youngest Wood twins, Ashleigh and Alexandra, or as they were better known as Ash and Alex. She was stuck between the two of them as they laughed and talked to their brothers and sister. She could see Artie standing with James and a few other Quidditch players that she knew by sight, but not by name.

She really didn’t keep up too much with the Quidditch scene, not as much as she should’ve if she was married to a Quidditch player. Devon was her Quidditch expert, he knew every player on every team, and he was always happy to keep her in the loop. She knew that he would probably be happy to be sitting where she was, surrounded by the whole league.

She finished off her firewhiskey and soda and stood up, interrupting Ash in the middle of her story. Molly didn’t really care to listen to her tell her about how she hooked up with the Wigtown’s Keeper.

After a quick trip to the bar, she went over to Artie and let him wrap his arm around her waist. She honestly just wanted to get drunk, like she had last night.

Her mother pulled her aside after dinner and told her that she was doing good by Artie. It was the first time someone told her that she was doing the right thing staying in the marriage. Then her mother asked her if she was going to be having a baby anytime soon.

It was too much.

Molly took a long sip from her drink and listened to Jacob and his boyfriend Carson interrupt each other as they told a story. “What’s wrong?” Artie whispered in her ear, as he began leading her away from the small circle of conversation.

She took another sip of her drink and let Artie pull her outside onto the little balcony area. “My mother wants us to have a baby.”

Artie laughed, threw his head back and laughed hard. Molly usually loved to make him laugh and smile, but this just made her feel small.

“Is this because Lucy is having a baby?” he asked once he calmed down a bit. “Do your parents know that they were married since before their seventh year?”

“Yes,” said Molly as she looked down at her whiskey, “but they like to think that they got married August twenty-sixth of this year, not renewed their vows on their third wedding anniversary.”

“Molly, that’s ridiculous,” said Artie as he pulled her close and tucked her into his arms. She didn’t realize how cold she was until he wrapped his arms around her. “Sounds like we need to talk to Lucy and Devon about unrealistic expectations.”

Molly looked up at him, and he bent down and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and she put her hands up into his hair, holding him close.

“Oi Jacobs! We’re about to start the relay and we need our Keeper to win!” yelled a voice at the pair of them, Molly giggled into Artie’s mouth.

“What relay?” she whispered as he pulled away.

“The drinking relay,” said Artie as they started heading back into the main room. “Basically we all drink as much as we can while playing games until there’s only one standing.”

“Sounds like a Weasley drinking game,” said Molly as she finished off her drink. “I’m sure that James’ sucks at this.”

“He does, which is why he goes first,” said Artie, and Molly smiled up at him. James was great at drinking, but not at holding it down. If challenged, then he could drink quite a bit, but it didn’t last very long, add in any sort of activity, then it was downhill from there.

Molly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to see James’ wife Katie. She smiled at Artie and tugged on Molly’s arm, leading her away into a separate room.

“Don’t let Artie drink too much,” she whispered once they were away from everyone else. “He always gets too drunk and spends the whole next day in bed, it’s really sad.”

Molly looked at her and clutched her drink in one hand. “Isn’t that the point of hangover potions?”

“You want Artie to come to dinner tomorrow right?” asked Katie, as there was a loud noise on the other side of the door. “He goes too hard and that’s why they always win, but last year I brought him home and he laid on the couch all day and was sick most of it, I felt really bad for him. He refused to take any potions last year.”

Molly looked at her, Katie was a lot like her mother, caring to a fault. She also wasn’t a liar, and Molly felt herself grow cold and sad at the thought of Artie all alone last year.

“Okay,” said Molly as there was another loud noise from behind them.

“Thank Merlin that James can’t hold his liquor,” she heard Katie say to herself, and Molly giggled.

Back in the main room, Molly could see a representative from each team at a different station. She honestly was wondering who set this all up, until she saw Katie walk over to a few of the other teams managers by one of the walls. The party was for the League, but plenty of alumni came and the coaches usually disappeared after an hour or so. Molly had been to the party before, but as a guest of Oliver’s and she spent all of her time with the Wood family, they had left before anything got too crazy though.

She walked over to where Artie was standing with his drink in his hand and a line of shots on the table in front of him. Standing beside Artie was Jacob Wood, the fourth Wood child, who Molly hadn’t seen in forever. He played for the Ballycastle Bats and was dating Carson MacMillan who was the Bats personal team Healer.

“Molly!” called Jacob as he stood up from where he was leaning against the table. “It’s been so long!”

Molly hugged him tightly, Jacob was her god-brother, her parent’s godson. Jacob was three years older than her, but it didn’t hurt their relationship at all.

“Oh I’ve missed you,” said Molly as he kissed her cheek. “How have you been?”

“Good,” he said giving her his signature large grin. “I was just congratulating Artie on your wedding.”

Molly giggled nervously as Artie smiled at her, “thank you Jacob.”

“Don’t be embarrassed!” said Jacob with a laugh, “you remember how Carson and I got together right?”

Molly did remember hearing about that, about Jacob’s injury which gave him the chance to meet Ballycastle’s new Healer. The two of them went from harmless teasing to a friendship to flirting during physical therapy. Carson had quit the team after Jacob had kissed him, having come out when he was fourteen.

Carson was having a bisexual crisis and after a week spent with his family, had come back to Ballycastle, to Jacob. The pair of them had been together since.

The story had gone viral after a _Quidditch Monthly_ article in which Jacob had outed their relationship, but support had flooded from all the League and their fans. Everyone loved Jacob as a Chaser, they loved him even more for being one of the first openly gay players in the League.

“I guess we didn’t fall that far,” said Molly as Jacob wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “But Mia’s lucky that she just had her baby or I would’ve been after her.”

“I heard that Lucy’s having a baby too,” said Jacob and Molly smiled.

“She’s due in April,” Molly told him, as Artie reached out his hand and held hers. “I can’t wait to be an auntie.”

“It’s great,” said Jacob, as they all looked over at his younger sisters, Ash and Alex running to a table across the hall room from them to loud cheering. “I get to just breeze in and rile the kids up, then leave them with my brother and sister to deal with.”

“I doubt Lucy would let anyone get away with that,” said Artie, as he squeezed Molly’s hand. “Devon on the other hand though…”

Molly rolled her eyes, even though she knew it was true. Lucy was not going to be a push over when it came to her child, her children, but Devon was already a pushover with his nephews.

“Oi Jacobs, stop talking and get ready!” yelled Micah and Molly bit her bottom lip.

~`~

Artie loved the annual Quidditch League Christmas Eve party. It was the one time a year where the whole League got together. Artie usually stuck to the Wood family or James during the party, he knew quite a few of the other players, but he had more fun hanging out with Mattie, Micah, and James.

But he loved getting to see Jacob Wood, who had been his Quidditch captain at Hogwarts until he graduated. Jacob took a chance on him and made him into the player that he was today.

He could still hear Katie’s warning in his head as he started drinking the line of shots in front of him. Molly had looked worried when Micah had yelled at him across the room, but he had made sure that he had an extra strong hangover potion waiting for him at home.

He just wished that Molly was having a better time. She spent the evening sitting between Ash and Alex Wood, the younger Wood twins who played for Holyhead. They were the youngest Beaters in the League, having just graduated in May, but were already playing on the main line up.

The Woods were quite the family, having taken him in when he had no one, but Molly had family. She had a sister and her parents and her whole extended family, Artie had the Wood family to piggyback on.

Even if he was sure that both Oliver and Ollie Jay hated him.

Artie ran across the room and picked up the Quaffle that was sitting on the table, before taking a wild throw into the hoops on the other side of the room. He then began stumbling over to Molly.

“I am drunk,” he whispered into her ear, as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“I know,” she said as they leaned back into the wall, “do you want some water?”

“I want you,” he told her as he kissed her neck. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Artie,” she said quietly as she pushed him back, “let me get you some water. I’ll be right back.”

He watched as she slipped out from under him and disappeared into the crowd. He sat down against the wall and accepted the drink that Jacob handed him, throwing it back like a shot and feeling the burn of firewhiskey. He just wanted to have Molly underneath him, naked and moaning.

“I know I shouldn’t say this,” said Jacob as he sipped at his own drink. “But congrats on winning for the third year in a row.”

“You would think that your brothers would get better at throwing balls drunk,” Artie told him with a giggle. “They were more drunk than sober at our last game.”

“No wonder you lot barely scratched pass,” mumbled Jacob as he played with the ice in his glass. “Dad probably had their heads, no?”

“Thought he was going to suffocate,” said Artie with a laugh, “went bloody mad.”

“Yeah, not a surprise,” said Jacob and Artie looked up as Molly reappeared in front of him, a bottle of water in her hands.

“Right Angel?”

Molly frowned at him as she handed him the water bottle before sitting down on his other side and taking Jacob’s drink out of his hands. “Carson is looking for you.”

“Ugh,” said Jacob as he slowly got to his feet, “probably wants to get to his parent’s house.”

Artie watched as Jacob stumbled away into the crowd, before turning to Molly who was finishing off his drink. Her hair looked like a crown around her head, her curls looked more gold than red in the bright light.

“Molly,” he whispered softly as he put his face into her neck. “I _loooove_ you.”

He was definitely feeling the alcohol in his system and the lack of food he ate during the day. Molly, he could tell was not amused, but the talk she had with her mother scared him too. He did love Molly, but children were too much too quickly.

“Artie drink your water,” said Molly as she opened the bottle for him and put it back in his hands. “We’ll go get some food when you finish the bottle.”

Artie kissed her neck and jaw, his lips moving up to her ear. He wanted her so badly.

She pushed him off and he took a swig of water, leaning his head back against the wall as Molly crossed her arms. He rubbed at his eyes, wanting to take out his contact lenses and put on his glasses.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, before drinking the last of his water bottle. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”

“No Babe,” said Molly as she stood up, in front of them, the party looked as if it was really going now. People were dancing and singing and drinking, and he wanted to be in the middle of it.

But he could feel himself starting to sober up as Molly grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room and out of the building. She paused outside the front door and pulled a small case out of her purse.

“Take your contacts out,” she said, and Artie could hear the softness in her voice. “Let’s get some food and go home.”

Artie took the case from her, and pulled out his glasses, swapping them for his contacts, which Molly stowed away. He moved forward and kissed her forehead, holding her face in both of his hands. She put her hands on his wrists and pulled them away as he pulled away.

“Artie,” she said as she let go of his wrists, “I love you too.”

~`~

Molly closed her eyes as Artie kissed her neck. He had one hand keeping him propped up on top of her, while the other palmed at her breast. She moaned as he sucked on her pulse point, and hitched a leg over his hip.

“Fuck,” mumbled Artie as she felt his erection press into her leg. “Fuck me?”

She reached a hand out to the side table and opened the small drawer there. She grabbed the small box she had bought yesterday and handed it to him. He was still a bit drunk and she knew that he would be horribly hungover in the morning.

She felt him stop and roll over off of her, “are you sure?”

He had told her that he loved her, and though he had been drunk, she knew that he was being honest. She had been waiting for someone to say that to her for so long, had been hoping that Artie would say that to her sooner.

“Yes,” she told him, as she reached over and took the box out of his hands. She took out a condom and opened it before grabbing him and rolling it on his cock.

She climbed on top of him and kissed his jaw and neck. He put his hands in her hair and pulled her mouth to his and she lowered herself onto him. She moaned into his neck and felt his hand grab her hips as she grinded against him.

“Oh Molly,” he groaned as he thrusted up into her. Molly giggled and kissed him as he continued the motion inside of her. “Fuck Molly.”

She moaned into his mouth and let him roll them over, feeling his mouth on her neck and his hands on her breasts. She heard him groan into her neck as he came on top of her. It was all too quick and too fast, and she was reminded of their first time together.

She wanted to be sixteen again.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Artie as he pulled out of her, and Molly curled into herself as he went to the bathroom. Tonight had not gone as she expected it, with Artie getting drunk and her still thinking about what her mother said to her.

Artie crawled back into bed next to her and pulled her into his arms, she put her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “Molly what’s wrong?”

She closed her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair and rubbed her arm. “Do you really love me?”

“Yes,” he whispered and she looked up at him, his eyes were bright and warm. She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled herself up to his level. She kissed him as his hand moved to her arse and held her against him. She moved her hands up to his hair and giggled as he rolled over onto her.

“I love you too,” she whispered as he grabbed for the condoms again.

**Four Years Earlier - 2023**

Artie stared at Molly’s sleeping form.

Her hair was an orange tumble along her back, and she was wearing one of his favorite shirts. Though that was mainly because she was wearing it, it would smell like her the next time he wore it. He laid down beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

He tucked his face into her hair and breathed in deeply, then kissed her neck and the bare skin of her shoulders.

“Artie,” she mumbled as his hand moved up her shirt. “I’m tired.”

He paused, his hand on her stomach, and his lips on her collar bone. She turned in his arms and kissed him as she pulled her shirt off. He pushed her underwear down her legs, as she grabbed at his boxers.

They had had sex a few times, and each time had been better than the last.

Molly straddled his legs as he put a condom on, before she lowered herself on top of him. He let out a sigh at the feel of her around him, so warm, so tight.

Molly leaned forward and kissed him as she grinded against his hips. He put his hands into her hair and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. He couldn’t help himself from thrusting up into her, but he was sure that she didn’t mind if the loud moan she gave him was anything to go by.

“Fuck Artie,” she groaned as he kissed her neck, as his hands moved up her stomach and he flicked her nipple. “Do that again.”

He did, as he felt the tension in his body begin to grow. He loved it when Molly was on top of him, kissing him, touching him.

“Molly,” he moaned, dragging her name out as she sat up, still grinding against him. “Molly please?”

He grabbed her arse and held on tightly as she put her hands on his chest and stomach, her back arching as she tightened around him. He knew that it was done, that she was done, as she tipped her head back and moaned his name.

He finished, staring up at her as she slowly opened her eyes and pulled himself out of her.

“I love you,” she whispered, as she collapsed on top of him, all limbs and wild hair. “I love you so much Artie.”

He kissed her forehead, feeling tired and sleepy. “I love you too, my Molly girl.”


	10. Photograph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas at the Burrow, catching up with old friends, and navigating some family drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: sexual content

** Chapter Nine: Photograph **

By Ed Sheeran

_Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul,_

_And it’s the only thing that I know_

Molly opened her eyes, she still felt tired and sleepy, but warm from her spot in Artie’s arms. She had her head tucked into his chest and their legs were tangled together. She heard Artie groan as he rubbed at his eyes, his other hand still on her shoulder. “My head,” he mumbled and Molly giggled as he rolled over on top of her.

“Artie,” she shrieked as he playfully bit her neck and shoulders. “Get off!”

He straddled her hips and leaned down, kissing her mouth softly. She put her hands up into his hair, pulling softly as he moved his hands down her body. She giggled into his mouth as he rolled them back over so she was on top of him.

“Merry Christmas,” she whispered, as she put her hands on his chest to prop herself up. He played with her hair as she tucked her foot around one of his ankles. “You want some coffee.”

Artie sighed, and Molly looked into his clear blue eyes, she felt like they changed every time she looked at them. “I think I need more than just some coffee.”

“Come on,” she said as she climbed out of the bed and grabbed one of his t-shirts that were on the floor. “There’s a hangover potion in the kitchen.”

Molly pushed and pulled him out of bed, shoving his glasses on as she did so, before settling him on the couch. She made them both a strong cup of tea and got him the hangover potion, which he took like a shot.

“Thanks Angel,” he whispered before taking a large sip of his tea. “I needed this.”

Molly tucked herself into his side, there was a stack of presents for them in the corner of the room as they decided to not get a tree. Molly really didn’t like the feel of pine needles and carpet, and she knew that they would be going to the Burrow anyways.

“Do we need to talk about last night?” he whispered as she sipped her tea.

“Artie,” said Molly quietly, not wanting to ruin the mood between them. “We don’t have to…”

“I love you,” he said, and Molly turned her head to look up at him. “I love you and I want to be with you. I always have.”

Molly gripped her tea cup tightly, feeling a wave of emotion hit her. She had been sure that he only told her that he loved her so they could have sex, but now she was sure that he really meant it.

“Are you crying?” whispered Artie as he looked down at her, his hands wiping under her eyes. “Molly Angel, don’t cry.”

“I’m just happy,” she told him as she set her tea cup on the coffee table and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying down and pulling him on top of her. “I didn’t think that we would get this far.”

He kissed her forehead and lips, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth. His hands moved to her waist and she let him pull her shirt off. She loved the feel of his hands on her, calloused and warm and everywhere she wanted them to be. She let out a moan as he pulled her nipple into his mouth and sucked softly.

They had had sex twice last night, and Molly knew that they were on their way to going at it again.

Artie put a hand on her stomach, while his other pushed in between her parted legs. She groaned as he began rubbing her clit slowly, feeling the press of his erection against her thigh.

“Artie,” she moaned, as his fingers started to move quicker, “please, please?”

She let out a sigh as he pushed inside of her, filling her. Her legs were trembling as he pushed deeper into her, his hands on her hips as he moved.

“Oh, oh please!” she moaned as Artie kissed her neck. “Don’t stop, Babe, please don’t.”

She felt him pull out of her as he came undone, his fingers replacing his cock as he finished her.

Molly began to feel herself come off of a high as he kissed her neck and shoulder blades, his lips soft and warm as he traced her body. “Opps,” he mumbled as their panting calmed to a stop, they were both still breathing heavily as they looked down at the sticky mess on their bodies.

Molly couldn’t help herself from giggling as Artie wrapped his arms around her, while burying his face into her hair. “Opps?” she repeated as he began laughing with her. “Artie were covered in cum and all you can say is opps?”

He climbed off of her, his face red, but still smiling. She let him pull her up off the couch and together they headed to the bathroom. They climbed into the shower and Molly started giggling again as he kissed her neck.

“I’m sorry I made a mess on you,” he whispered in her ear as he helped her wash off the sticky residue covering their bodies. She helped him wash his back and hair, feeling him turn into pudding under her hands.

When they got out of the shower, Molly got dressed, while Artie lounged on the couch in just his boxers. Their tea was cold, but Molly didn’t mind. Artie tucked himself into her, putting his head in her lap while she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Do you want to open presents?” she asked him as he flicked on the TV with his wand. She moved one hand down his neck, shoulders, and back, feeling him relax even more into her. He looked sleepy and tired as she took off his glasses and continued to run her fingers through his hair.

“If you want to,” he mumbled as he looked up at her, his eyes were foggy and tired. “I’m so tired.”

Molly leaned down and kissed him softly, before she pushed him back up into a sitting position and went to the stack of presents in the corner. She handed him the small stack of presents that were all labeled with his name.

“Thank you,” he whispered as she sat down beside him. Molly began tearing into her gifts, she got all the usual staples, clothes, drawing kits, books that she always traded with Lucy. She did get a book all about the different Quidditch teams of the British Isles, which was signed in James’ handwriting.

“James,” she grumbled as she threw the book onto the coffee table with a sigh, he had _signed_ the inside cover. “Thinks he’s the best bloody player in the whole league.”

Artie laughed as Molly opened her next gift, she knew immediately that it was from her Nana Molly. Her usual Weasley sweater, though this year it was in Puddlemere’s blue with a large yellow M in the middle. She pulled it on over the t-shirt she stole from Artie’s side of the closet.

“We match,” said Artie as he pulled on his own Weasley sweater, his was also blue, but with a large yellow A instead of M. Molly leaned forward and kissed his cheek, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and holding her close.

“Do you think Oliver would let you wear this for games?” asked Molly as she rubbed the knit between her fingers. “Nana would be really happy if you did.”

“I don’t want to ruin it though,” he said as Molly reached for the last gift in front of her. It was a small yellow wrapped package, one that Molly hadn’t even noticed at first glance.

“What is this?” whispered Molly, as she stared at the small package. She could feel Artie stiffen against her back as she ripped the paper off of the little box.

“It’s my gift,” he whispered, as he took the small box from her hands and lifted the top.

Molly gasped as she looked at the beautiful diamond ring in his hands. She carefully reached forward with trembling hands and took the small box from him. The ring was beautiful, a silver band with one large diamond and two smaller diamonds flanking the large one. She looked up at Artie, who was smiling softly down at her.

“I thought that you would like to have a real ring,” he told her as he plucked the ring out of the box and carefully slid it on the fourth finger of her left hand. “This one reminded me of you.”

Molly wiped at her eyes, a wave of emotion hitting her as she looked at the ring on her left hand. It looked even more beautiful on her hand, glittering even in the low lights around them.

She tipped her head back, looking right up at him. “I love you,” she whispered, reaching up and pulling his mouth down to hers.

“I love you too,” he mumbled against her lips as his arms wrapped around her.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes as he felt something climbing on top of him. He looked down to see a little boy with dark hair and brown eyes that reminded him of Molly.

“Hi,” he said as he made himself comfortable on Artie’s lap. “I’m Collin.”

“Hello,” said Artie as he stared at Collin. He had no idea who his parents were, though they were definitely part of the Weasley family.

“Oh Collin what did I- Artie?”

Artie looked up at Collin’s mother and felt the breath get knocked out of him. Maggie MacMillan, his best friend back at Hogwarts was standing in front of him. She picked up her son, and put him on her hip as she looked down at Artie.

They had lost contact after graduating, with Artie starting his training with the Puddlemere team and Maggie starting her internship at St. Mungo’s. He had missed her quite a bit over the years, he could’ve used her support when he broke up with Molly and when his mother passed away.

“Hey Maggie,” said Artie with a smile as he sat up and patted the seat beside him. “What are you doing here?”

Maggie sat down a bit awkwardly, putting Collin on her lap. Collin looked a bit annoyed as he didn’t fit really well on Maggie’s lap, her obvious baby bump in the way. “Al and I are married.”

Artie was sure that he looked surprised, he had met James’ younger siblings a few times before he married Molly, and he never imagined that Al would get married and have a kid before Lily. He looked again at the little boy in her lap, he looked to be the same age as James and Katie’s son Jason.

“How old is Collin?” asked Artie, as he looked closer at the little boy, he definitely had Maggie’s eyes and freckles, with Al’s smile and nose.

“He’ll be three in January,” Maggie told him and Artie quickly did the math in his head.

“I knew that you were sleeping with someone,” Artie told her as she covered Collin’s ears. “Is this why you stopped writing? Because you were pregnant?”

Maggie blushed bright red, her face blending into her hair, before she spoke again, “yes, but I didn’t mean to completely cut you out. But then I was trying to raise Collin by myself and Al came back into my life.”

“And I married Molly,” Artie told her, as he patted Collin’s head. Collin looked up at him with a wide smile, he had the same smile as Jason.

“I heard about that,” said Maggie, as Al sat down beside them with two bundles in his arms. “Though I think it was a bit later than everyone else. I feel like we hear everything later being up at Hogwarts.”

“Congratulations though,” said Al as Maggie took one of the bundles from his arms. “I don’t think I’ve seen Molly this happy in a while.”

Artie looked at the bundle and saw a shock of bright red hair and a small squished face. “Three?” he whispered and Maggie laughed.

“This is Alyssa and her sister Cassandra,” said Maggie as she put Alyssa in his arms and sent Al away with Collin, taking Cassandra in her arms. “They’re eight months old. Though I’ll have four in February with this one.”

She patted her stomach and Artie really was at a loss for words. Maggie and Al would have four children at twenty-two, and Artie was barely even married.

“Wow,” said Artie, looking down at the little girl in his arms. He could imagine himself holding his own daughter with Molly’s bright red curly hair and his blue eyes. “They’re still so little.”

Maggie giggled as the baby in her arms started to cry and wave her arms in front of her, obviously upset. “Oh sweetie it’s fine,” she cooed to her daughter as she smoothed a hand down her hair. “Mama has you.”

Artie looked back down at Alyssa as Maggie left him with her to take care of Cassandra. Alyssa opened her eyes and Artie was taken back by how green and bright they were. She cooed up at him and he couldn’t help but smile down at her. She was a beautiful little girl.

“Oh, Maggie passed a baby off on you?” said Molly as she sat down beside him and smiled at Alyssa. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Yes,” said Artie, answering both of her questions, even as Alyssa reached for Molly. He was sure that she thought that Molly was her mother, thinking that Molly’s curls were Maggie’s.

Molly put her head on his shoulder and pulled her legs up to her chest as they both looked down at Alyssa. Artie was sure that she was thinking the same thing that he was, of their own baby.

“Thank you for taking her,” said Al as he reappeared in front of them and scooped Alyssa out of his arms, “but Maggie’s feeding Cassie and wants to put both of them down together.”

Artie’s arms felt cold without Alyssa in them, he had been surprised by how much he liked to hold the little girl. The baby was so cute, and part of him, a very small part of him, wanted to have a baby of his own to hold, to care for.

~`~

“Was Artie holding a baby?” whispered Lucy as Molly walked into the kitchen, Artie’s coffee mug in her hand. “Or was I just imagining that?”

“Yes,” said Molly as she poured Artie a new cup of coffee, “one of Al and Maggie’s girls.”

Lucy laughed and Molly smiled as she started to add sugar to the mug. This was how it had been going lately, Molly was quite enjoying Artie giving her cups of tea just how she liked whenever they were together. She knew that he quite liked it when Molly gave him his morning coffee before she left every morning.

It was one in the afternoon now, but Artie had a long night last night and still looked sleepy and groggy now.

“You don’t think he’ll get any ideas then?”

Molly looked down at the coffee cup and started to slowly stir the spoon she had used for the sugar. She wanted to have a family, a baby of her own, but she also knew that they weren’t ready. Lucy had to know that they weren’t ready for that kind of responsibility yet.

“I hope not,” Molly told her as she looked at her sister. She was twenty-four weeks pregnant with a perfect little baby bump, Molly had started rubbing Lucy’s stomach whenever they were around one another.

She was sure that it would bring her luck.

“I think that Devon is starting to realize that we’re really having a baby,” Lucy whispered as Molly put a hand on her sister’s rounded stomach. “We got so many baby gifts, it really put things into perspective.”

“Louis volunteer to paint the nursery?” asked Molly as Lucy tucked her head onto Molly’s shoulder.

“Yes, he’s not coming today, with Navya being so fussy and Mia is exhausted, but he put a note with the present Mia had sent,” explained Lucy as Molly put her cheek on the top of Lucy’s head. They held each other as their aunts and cousins and Nana Molly all moved around the kitchen. “Have you gone to see her yet?”

“I’m still angry at Mia,” Molly told her as she pulled away from Lucy. “But I’m planning on trekking out there in the New Year, probably drag Artie around so Louis isn’t the most awkward person in the room.”

Lucy giggled and Molly ran a hand through Lucy’s hair as she took a sip of Artie’s coffee. She pulled away and bit her lip, Molly liked sweets, but Artie’s coffee was just pure sugar.

“I need to take this out,” Molly told Lucy as she started heading to the living room, “Artie needs his sugar coffee.”

Lucy followed after her, mostly because they both knew they were just taking up space in the kitchen and Rose would’ve sent them out anyways. Molly handed Artie his coffee mug and sat down in his lap as Lucy sat down beside him.

Five years ago, Molly was sandwiched between her Uncles Harry and Ron and thinking about introducing Artie to her family.

“Thank you,” said Artie into her hair before taking a drink of his coffee. “Perfect.”

“Sugar coffee,” said Molly with a roll of her eyes, but she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. It was day two of no shaving, and she quite liked the stubble on his chin and cheeks.

Artie kissed her forehead and wrapped his hand around her waist, holding her against him.

“Have you thought of any names yet?” Artie asked Lucy as Molly rested her head on his shoulder and tucked her knees into her chest. He reached a hesitant hand out and rubbed Lucy’s stomach, something that she had invited him to do at dinner the other night.

“We finally decided on Leah for a girl and Lucas for a boy,” Lucy told him as she grabbed his hand and moved it to her side. Molly was sure that was the spot where the baby was kicking, and by the smile on Artie’s face, she was sure that she was right. “We’ve just been calling them Baby L for now.”

Artie pulled his hand away, but Lucy grabbed it and held it to her stomach, as Devon came and sat down beside her.

“Baby L kicking?” he asked his wife as he tucked his head into Lucy’s hair. “Kept us up most of last night.”

“Must’ve been excited for Christmas,” said Artie as Lucy gave him his hand back. “I know I was.”

Molly glanced up at him, but caught Lucy’s eyes instead. She gave Molly a questioning look and Molly blinked at her, letting her know that they could talk later.

“This is your first Weasley Christmas isn’t it?” asked Devon, as he wrapped his arms around Lucy’s stomach. “Get ready for an exciting time, usually there’s some type of drama.”

“Dominique isn’t going to announce that she’s pregnant again, is she?” Artie whispered and Devon threw his head back with a loud laugh. “Or is Freddie going to faint again?”

“Hopefully not,” said Lucy as she pushed Devon’s hands off of her. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Molly stood up and followed after Lucy, walking upstairs with her. They bypassed the bathroom and kept climbing the stairs to their father’s old bedroom. Molly sat down on the bed while Lucy paced in front of her, her hands holding her stomach.

“So what happened last night?” asked Lucy as Molly laid back down on the bed. “You seemed pretty upset when you texted me.”

“Artie got really drunk and told me that he loved me,” Molly told her, not bothering to look at her. She already knew what Lucy was going to say, what she was going to ask of her.

“You had sex with him, didn’t you?”

Molly sighed and thought about last night and the early morning, she had felt sixteen again. She had felt so happy and so seen and so in love, but now she was sure that Artie was going to change his mind.

“Yes.”

Lucy stopped her pacing, and Molly didn’t look up. She was sure that Lucy was judging her, sure that she was going to tell her what she already knew. Molly had fucked up again.

“Do you love him?” asked Lucy, as she laid down beside Molly.

It was not what Molly had expected. “I do,” she whispered as she turned on her side to look at Lucy. “I’ve always loved him, Lucy.”

Lucy wrapped her arms around Molly, pulling her as close as she could with her stomach in the way. Molly felt tears prickle in her eyes as she tucked herself into her sister. Lucy grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together.

“What’s this?” whispered Lucy as she picked up Molly’s hand, where the ring Artie had given her that morning glittered on her finger.

“Artie gave it to me this morning,” Molly told her as she slid it off and handed it to her sister. “It’s pretty isn’t it?”

“It’s beautiful Molly,” Lucy told her as she looked at the ring. “It’s absolutely stunning.”

“It was his mother’s,” Molly told her, she had remembered seeing it before, in one of the few times she had visited Artie at his mother’s apartment. “I remember seeing it a few times before.”

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” asked Lucy as she handed the ring back. Molly looked at it again, it was just so beautiful and simple.

“No, but that’s okay,” Molly told her, as she wiped at her eyes and sat up. “Let’s go back downstairs.”

“Okay, but I really do need to use the bathroom,” said Lucy as Molly helped her get off the bed. “I don’t know how LeeAnne has done this three times with twins.”

Molly giggled as they walked back downstairs, stopping for Lucy to use the bathroom on the way. Molly climbed back into Artie’s lap, while Lucy tucked herself into Devon’s side. Artie wrapped his arms around her hips and held her tightly against his side.

“You and Lucy have a nice talk?” he whispered and Molly felt herself stiffen in his lap. She wanted to lie to him, wanted to tell him that there was a line outside the bathroom, but they had promised each other to not lie to one another.

“Yeah,” she whispered back, tucking her head in the hollow of his neck. “I showed her the ring you got me.”

“It was my mother’s,” he told her as he laced his fingers through hers and brought it to his lips. “She always told me to give it to the one person I saw a future with.”

Molly smiled and leaned up, kissing his chin, before tucking herself back into him. This was turning out to be a great Christmas.

~`~

Artie sat in between Molly and James, laughing to himself as James threw rolls down the table. He was pretty sure that this was where James got the deadly aim that he was known for. Molly giggled when she saw her own father get hit in his glasses, knocking them off with a roll.

“James!” yelled Percy as he grabbed his glasses out of the gravy boat.

“It was Artie Uncle Percy!” yelled James and Molly reached around Artie to smack the back of James’ head. “Ow Molly!”

“Don’t lie to dad, James,” Molly told him and Artie giggled into his plate as James turned back to his own plate.

“Sorry Artie,” whispered James as he nudged his elbow. Artie turned to tell him that he was fine, but saw that James was already distracted by cutting up his son Jason’s food.

It was still weird to Artie to see James with a child, even though his younger brother now had three. Artie had known James first as a competitor, then as a teammate, and now as a friend. James had even sent him a letter when he got struck by lightning back at school, even though Artie had been playing against the Ravenclaw team. James had also stood by his side when his mother died, he had helped him pack up his mum’s apartment, and had helped train Elouise while he was on leave to plan his mother’s funeral.

Artie had just come on the team when Jason was born, and it had been weird for him to see James change from the weird goofy teammate to a responsible parent in the drop of a Quaffle, but he balanced himself well. Artie was sure that if Evan wasn’t already team captain, then James would’ve been after the position.

Across from them was James’ little sister Lily and her husband Ryan. Artie didn’t know either Lily or Ryan very well, though he had met them a few times just in association with James. Lily was younger than even Molly and very sweet, but he had barely ever talked to her, even when he was dating Molly.

“Molly, have you gone to see Louis and Mia’s baby yet?” asked Lily looking up at Molly. “She’s _sooo_ cute and cuddly, Louis is lucky to have such a sweet baby.”

Molly set her fork and knife down on either side of her plate, Artie knew that she was still angry about the wedding announcement Louis’ wife Mia had written about Molly and Artie. He had personally thought that it was funny, but knew that Molly didn’t agree. Her reputation was a bit more important than his.

“Not yet,” said Molly with a wave of her hand, “the shop has been so busy and I’ve been going to games to support Artie. I plan on making the visit in the next week or two.”

“You’ll love her,” said Lily between mouthfuls of food, “she’s the sweetest little thing.”

Artie slipped his hand under the table and squeezed Molly’s knee. She wrapped her foot around his ankle and smiled at him as she picked her silverware back up.

“That’s what I heard, I wish they would’ve come today,” said Molly as Artie moved his hand up her leg. “Lucy told me that she’s been a little fussy though.”

“All babies are fussy,” said Maggie from just down the table from them, “they have no other way to communicate.”

“I honestly think that they were just too tired to come,” said James as he looked up from his plate. “I don’t blame them for not wanting to come around, but I’m sure that Louis is tired of having them around all the time.”

“Mia is the only person that Louis can stand to be around,” said Lily, waving her brother off with her fork still in her hand. “I’m sure that he just didn’t want to come. Mia’s older brother Hajari was at dinner with us last night and told us that Mia told their parents that she wasn’t going to come around to their Christmas either.”

“So it is Hajari who knocked up Veronica?” asked Lucy from beside Molly, “sorry, we’ve been trying to figure it out _forever_. She started showing and we were sure that it was that weird guy she had been dating.”

“No wonder she didn’t tell the two of you,” said Rose from her seat beside Maggie, her husband Scorpius looking bored with his son asleep against his shoulder. “I’m sure half the Alley would’ve known within the hour the way the two of you gossip.”

Artie chuckled to himself as he watched Molly roll her eyes, most of their dinner discussions were about the gossip that Molly heard from other shop owners. Quite a bit of it came from Sasha Thomas who owned the salon right down the street from Molly and Lucy’s shop.

“Can I just say that I was also curious,” said Devon as he smiled at Rose, “I’ve heard quite a bit about this from Lucy, and Hajari is the healer we’ve been seeing for Baby L.”

“Oh is that what you’re calling the baby?” asked Lily, perking up to try and see Lucy’s baby bump.

“Seeing as someone doesn’t want to know the gender, we’ve decided on the names Leah and Lucas for the baby,” said Lucy as she placed a hand on her stomach. “Middle names are still undetermined, so no one ask.”

“Leah’s a pretty name,” said Maggie, as she reached for the squash in front of her. “Is it after your dad Devon?”

“Yeah,” said Devon as he rubbed a hand through his hair. “He got really happy when we told him.”

“Happier than when you told him that you were pregnant?” asked Lily, and Artie leaned forward to look at Lucy and Devon. Molly had not told him anything about this.

“I think that they all overreacted,” said Lucy, as she looked at Lily. “I mean we’ve been married since we were seventeen, and we did put a lot of thought into having this baby. But Dev’s the youngest and we all know how my dad is.”

“What happened?” Artie whispered in Molly’s ear, but she just pushed him away.

“Later,” she whispered back as Rose stood up with her plate. Artie had learned the hard way that no one had dessert until Rose got up to portion out whatever she made.

Artie grabbed one of the rolls in front of him and used it to wipe off his plate before stuffing it into his mouth. When Rose started to pass around a tray filled with desserts, Artie grabbed off a large brownie and took a large bite. He loved Rose’s brownies, and wanted to get the recipe from her, but was sure that it wasn’t going to happen.

Slowly the table started to empty around them as everyone headed to the living room, their plates floating over to the sink and washing themselves. Molly grabbed Artie’s hand, but instead of going to the living room, they went upstairs. Artie immediately recognized the room they walked into, it was the one she had pulled him into all those weeks ago.

Molly went and laid down on the bed, patting the space beside her for him to sit next to her.

“Come on, lay down,” she told him, and he laid down beside her.

“Is this what you and Lucy do?” he asked her, and she smiled.

“And Lucy and Devon,” answered Molly as she took his hand.

“So what happened with them?” he asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Percy get upset or something?”

“Mum and dad weren’t really that upset,” said Molly as she tucked her head into his chest. “It was Lee and Alicia who were. They apparently went on and on about how young they were, how they had just gotten married, and ho-“

“They’ve been married for years,” said Artie, he had been there, he remembered that night.

“They got remarried because Lucy and Devon wanted to have a baby, though they didn’t know that they were already pregnant,” Molly told him while she stretched her arms in front of them. “It just didn’t work out in the way that they wanted. Devon’s parents were just worried that they were jumping in too quickly.”

“Please tell me that this is when they told everyone that they had been married for three years?” said Artie and Molly giggled into his chest.

“Yes, and it went just as well as telling everyone that they were having a baby,” said Molly, still giggling against his chest.

“Isn’t Louis younger than you though?” asked Artie, he couldn’t remember which of Molly’s cousins were older than her and which ones were younger.

“Yeah, but I think Uncle Bill and Tante Fleur were just happy that Louis was graduated _and_ married before having Navya,” Molly told him, and Artie laughed as he remembered what had happened with Dominique in Molly’s sixth year.

“Well,” said Artie as Molly cuddled closer to his side, “maybe naming the baby Leah will calm down Devon’s parents.”

“They’re fine,” said Molly as she wrapped her arm around his chest. “I don’t think they care about it anymore, and if they do, they’ll get over it when the baby comes.”

Artie began playing with her hair, feeling tired and sleepy again with Molly in his arms.

~`~

Molly walked into the kitchen, where Scorpius was sitting at the table bottle feeding his daughter Athena. Molly sat down across from him and Scorpius slid a folder across the table to her.

“What’s this?” asked Molly, picking up the folder.

“What you asked for,” answered Scorpius as he looked up from his daughter to Molly. “Ignatius Jacobs.”

Molly opened the folder, and looked down at a picture of Iggy. He looked horrible, thin and gaunt with his bones sticking out of the skin, he was incredibly pale, the only color on his face was his red hair and red beard.

She flipped through the file quickly, key words popping out at her, alcohol abuse, auror training dropout, and family abandonment. She found another picture of Iggy, right before he graduated from Hogwarts, he looked happy and healthy and whole.

“What happened to him?” Molly whispered, and Scorpius didn’t take his eyes off of his daughter.

“From what I take it,” said Scorpius as he adjusted Athena in his arms, “he started drinking to deal with the stress of the auror training, then once his drinking started to affect his training, he got kicked out of the aurors.”

“Just like that, Uncle Harry or Uncle Ron didn’t try to intervene?” asked Molly, as she looked through the folder again.

“We have newbies dropout all the time Molly,” Scorpius told her as he looked back up at her again. “We don’t go searching after them once they decide to leave, and if Iggy wanted to leave then no one was going to stop him.”

“Where is he now?” asked Molly as she slid the folder back across the table.

“He passed away about four months ago,” said Scorpius, opening the folder and pulling out a death certificate. “He was found outside a Muggle liquor store, he had died in his sleep.”

“Can I keep the pictures?”

Molly was in complete shock, she knew that Artie wasn’t the same without Iggy, she had been sure that she would find him and bring him back.

“You can keep the whole folder Molly,” said Scorpius, putting the death certificate away and handing Molly the folder. “I would suggest telling Artie sooner than later. It’ll hurt, but it would be good for him to hear it from you than me.”

Molly nodded and held the folder in both hands, before she stood up and walked out to the living room, slipping the folder into her purse as she went.


	11. New Year's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Years! Molly and Artie spend the day together, and Artie finds out a little more about the Weasley family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: sexual content

** Chapter Ten: New Year’s Day **

By Taylor Swift

_I want your midnights,_

_But I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day_

Artie opened his eyes, Molly was asleep on top of him with her legs tangled with his. One thing he adored about Molly, was that she was all limbs, and they always got tangled together when sleeping with one another.

It wasn’t often that he woke up first, but had come to the napping party late.

He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. She looked so peaceful and sweet curled up on top of him.

“Hey Baby,” he whispered when she opened her eyes, she looked so soft and sleepy as she yawned and stretch her arms over her head. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she laid along her stomach and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Hi,” she whispered, before leaning forward and kissing him.

She still looked sleepy and tired when she pulled away and sat on his stomach, straddling his hips. “What time do you want to get going?” she asked as she stretched her arms over her head, he heard her shoulders pop, but was more distracted by the strip of bare skin between her pants and the hem of her shirt.

Artie reached out and touched her skin, causing her to giggle as he moved his hands up. She leaned down and kissed him as his hand grazed the bottom of her bra.

“Babe,” she mumbled against his lips. “We need to get ready.”

She didn’t pull away as he palmed her breast over her bra, his other hand moving over her back, pushing her shirt up. She pulled away for a moment to pull her shirt off and unhook her bra for him. Her lips went back to his as he continued massaging her breasts.

She moaned into his mouth as he began kissing her neck. “Take your shirt off,” she whispered as she pulled back, taking him along with her. He pulled his shirt off over his head and threw it on the floor, before returning to her body. Everything about Molly was sexy, the way she arched her back over him, the way she kissed him, the way her fingers lingered on his skin.

He reached down and unbuckled her pants, pushing them down her hips as far as he could.

“I’d rather do this in bed, Artie,” Molly told him as he pulled one of her nipples into his mouth. He sucked softly, and was met with a loud moan.

He slipped his fingers in the small amount of space he had in her pants, watching as she tipped her head back when he touched her.

“That feels good Babe,” she whispered as she put her hands on his shoulders. He started off slow, moving his fingers at a glacial pace. She moaned softly as she grinded against his hand, and he smiled as she grabbed his face and kissed him. “Fuck me please?”

He added another finger as he picked up the pace, watching as she slowly came undone on top of him. Her mouth turning into a perfect O as she fell apart.

He grabbed her in his arms and headed to the bedroom, letting her push his pants down his legs. He threw her down on the bed and pulled her pants off, letting them fall to the floor as he grabbed a condom and rolled it on.

“Angel,” he whispered as he pushed inside of her, holding her hips as he thrusted into her slowly.

She moaned as he leaned forward and kissed her, pushing deeper into her. Molly wrapped her legs around him as she started to grind against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kept thrusting inside of her.

“You feel so good,” he mumbled into her ear, as he put his hands on either side of her head. He missed having sex whenever he wanted, he missed having her underneath him and so, so tight around him.

Molly moaned again as he palmed her breast again and kissed her. He could feel her tightening around him, spurring him closer. It had been so long since they came together, and he felt her toes curl against his back as she tightened her legs around him.

“Artie,” she panted the same time he called out her name, feeling himself come undone as she tightened even more around him.

He pressed his forehead against hers, both of them panting as they slowly came off their high. Artie kissed her softly between pants as she slowly unhitched her legs from around his waist. He pulled out of her, suddenly feeling cold as she let go of his neck.

“I love you,” she whispered as he pulled the condom off and threw it in the bathroom trash.

“I love you,” he told her as he climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. “Angel you’re my everything.”

She kissed him, wrapping her arms and legs around him until they were a pile of limbs again.

“Is it wrong that I want to do that again?” she whispered in his ear as she moved a hand down to hold his cock in her hand. “Screw the party, let’s just stay in all night.”

Artie’s laugh died in his throat as she squeezed him softly, and her hand began moving over him, stroking him into a frenzy. He grabbed her face and began kissing her as she massaged his tip in her fingertips. “Oh fuck Angel,” he moaned into her mouth.

There was no way they were going to the party tonight.

~`~

Molly answered the door, her sweater falling off of her shoulder as she handed the pizza delivery guy his money. “Thank you,” she told him as he handed her the pizza.

Molly closed the door and skipped over to the couch, where Artie sat in just his boxers. She set the box down on the coffee table as Artie grabbed her waist and pulled her into his lap. “Hi Babe,” she said as his lips moved to her neck and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“Hey,” he whispered, before reaching forward and grabbing the pizza box. They both took a slice, and Molly tucked her head under Artie’s as she took a bite.

They were supposed to be at her aunt and uncle’s house, for the annual Weasley New Year’s Eve party, but had decided not to go.

Mainly so they could fuck whenever they wanted.

Artie put a hand under her sweater as they ate, his hand resting on her stomach. She was tired and sleepy and wishing that the clock would count down faster.

“When do you go back to work?” asked Molly as she got them both a second piece of pizza.

“Day after next as long as the weather isn’t too bad,” said Artie as he began flipping through the channels with his wand. “Next game is the weekend after.”

“Holyhead right?” she asked, already thinking about how cold Artie was going to be in the air.

“Yeah,” said Artie sounding distracted as he stopped on the ball drop in London. The timer told them they still had an hour and a half.

“You have a winter kit right?” asked Molly as she climbed out of his lap and headed into the bedroom. Their clothes were littering the floor, not that she really minded. Since moving in together, they both got a bit neater and both a little messier.

Molly grabbed his spare uniform and touched the fabric, the kit was thick, but not warm. She walked back out into the living room and went over to the sewing machine that she set up in the corner of the living room. She was tired of going into the shop of Sundays when she could do the work from home.

“I’m going to put a lining in this,” she told him as she pulled the robes inside out. “I don’t know how any of you stay warm in these.”

Artie put his hands on the back of her chair as she started measuring fabric and his Quidditch kit. She knew that he liked to watch her work, he had made it clear when he pulled up a chair next to her a week ago and asked her questions as she measured and cut and sewed. She had been working on some onesies for the new babies in the family, and for some of her friends who were expecting.

“This fabric is horrible,” Molly mumbled to herself as she got started in cutting out the lining for Artie. “Are all of you freezing your butts off in this?”

“Usually it’s just me and Evan,” Artie told her as he leaned over her shoulder.

“I think Maria told me she was coming to the next game, I’ll write her and see if she could bring me one of his kits. It’ll give me something to do next game,” said Molly, as she double checked her cuts. “Neither of you deserve to be this cold.”

Once she got the sewing machine going, Artie rested his head on her shoulder and watched as her hands got moving. It reminded her of when she and Lucy were little and would sit in their mother’s lap while she sewed.

“Would you like to try?” asked Molly as she paused to look at him.

“Nah, it just reminds me of watching my mum when I was little,” he told her as she got started up again.

After a few more minutes, Molly held up Artie’s kit and trimmed off the extra thread before turning it back out and handing it to Artie.

“Put this on, tell me if it’s better,” she told him and smiled as he slipped the shirt on over his head.

“Wow,” he mumbled as he flexed his arms, “this is so much better. I’ll write Evan to send over his extra kit tomorrow.”

Molly giggled again as Artie flexed one last time before pulling the shirt off and throwing it on the coffee table. “I’m glad you like it,” she told him, before waving her wand to clear up and walked over to the couch. She laid down, and Artie laid down beside her, resting his head on her stomach.

Molly ran her fingers through his hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist. They flipped through the channels, always coming back to the ball drop in London.

Eventually, Artie climbed up the couch and they began kissing lazily. Her sweater joining his Quidditch kit on the coffee table. Artie grabbed the afghan off the couch and draped it over them as they snogged.

Molly felt like it was the perfect way to bring in the New Years.

~`~

Artie looked over at Molly’s empty side of the bed, he could hear the shower running, and as much as he wanted to join her, he couldn’t bring himself to get out of the covers. He was so warm and sleepy, but the thought of Molly in the shower was keeping him awake.

He curled up into himself as he heard the water turn off, a moment later Molly walked into the bedroom with just a towel on. Ever since they had sex a week ago, he felt that they had become more open since then.

It also helped that Christmas had gone so well.

“Morning,” she said as she went to the closet and began pulling clothes out for herself. “Sleep well?”

He smiled as he watched her get dressed, then sat up as she threw him a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “Where are we going?” he asked, as Molly fished through the closet for a sweater.

“I’m taking you to breakfast,” she told him, as she pulled on her sweater and headed back into the bathroom, pulling her hair back as she went. “I’m hungry and I don’t want to cook.”

She never wanted to cook, but he didn’t mind doing the job for both of them. He pulled his clothes on and went into the bathroom, standing next to Molly as he brushed his teeth. She kissed his cheek as she walked into the bedroom, leaving him behind.

Artie would never really admit it, but he liked it when Molly took him out to eat. She had started to show up during their lunch breaks at practice to sweep him away for the hour to go to lunch. During the last week and a half that he had been home, she had come home during her lunch break with take out from the Leaky Cauldron. She always made these trips into a little adventure for them to enjoy.

“Come on,” she said once they got out the door as she pulled on his hand. “We’re meeting Lucy and Devon at the diner.”

They disappeared into the alley beside their apartment building and reappeared in another alley, on another street. Artie laced his fingers through Molly’s as she led the way to a small corner diner just down the street from them. He walked in behind her and followed her to the small booth where Lucy and Devon were sitting on one side.

“Happy New Years,” said Molly as she hugged her sister and smiled at Devon.

“Where were you last night?” asked Lucy as Molly slid into the booth across from Lucy and Artie sat down beside her. “We waited until eleven-thirty before we went home.”

“We never went out,” Artie told them as he flipped over his coffee cup. “Neither of us wanted to go.”

“Should’ve let us know,” said Devon as he stirred his tea, “I didn’t want to leave the house, but _Lucy_ thought that the two of you were coming out to the party.”

“We will next time,” said Molly as she shared a look with Lucy. Artie didn’t quite understand the looks they gave each other, something that Devon reassured him they weren’t meant to. The girls were important to both of them and that was all they needed to know.

“I think Baby L wants French toast today,” mused Lucy as she looked over the menu. “And maybe some eggs and bacon and hashbrowns.”

“So two entrees?” asked Devon as he looked at the menu, “what if I just gave you some of mine?”

Artie shared a look with Molly and both of them smiled as they turned back to their menus. He felt her wrap her foot around his ankle as he put his hand on her thigh.

“’Lo everyone,” said their waitress as she poured coffee into Artie’s cup, “ready to order?”

“Yes,” said Lucy and their waitress set the coffee pot behind her and pulled out a small notepad.

“What can I get ya?” she asked in a bored, flat tone. Artie glanced at his watch, it was only nine in the morning, but she probably had a late night like everyone else did.

“I’ll have the French toast,” said Lucy as she handed her menu off to Devon, “and the full breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and wheat toast.”

Their waitress didn’t even blink at Lucy’s order, nor seemed to care about any of their orders as she wrote them down in her notepad. The second she left though, Molly handed him the sugar cattie.

“Thanks,” Artie told her as he fixed his coffee.

“I don’t know how you can drink coffee with all that sugar,” said Devon as he watched Artie add five sugars to his cup. “Worse than Sean.”

“Sean puts eight sugars in his tea,” Molly whispered to Artie, as he handed her the sugar cattie. “You know, Roxanne’s boyfriend?”

“He works at the bakery right?” asked Artie, trying to remember which of Molly’s cousins was Roxanne. “Or is he the artist?”

“Louis is the artist, Sean works at the bakery and the WWN,” whispered Molly, as she reached across and took a sip of his coffee. “I feel like I should get you a cheat sheet for the family.”

“You could have the one Lucy made for me,” said Devon with a large smile, “or we can make one right now.”

Artie didn’t know how he felt about getting a cheat sheet for the whole Weasley family, but he didn’t argue when Molly pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. She started by writing the names of her uncles and aunts, then her cousins.

“We’ll just go by subfamily, then move forward from there,” said Molly, as she made a line under Victoire’s name. “Victoire is the oldest, she’s married to Sirius and they have four kids, Regulus, Arcturus, Megan, and SJ. Victoire met her husband when she was fifteen in Paris and ran off with him right after she graduated. Regulus was born a few months later, his birthday is actually in a few days.”

“Dominique is next,” said Lucy, as Molly handed over the pen, “you already know that she’s the same age as us, and she had that whole pregnancy ordeal when we were sixteen. After her is Louis, Uncle Bill and Tante Fleur’s youngest. He’s married to Anamika Nott, who goes by Mia and they just had their first child, Navya.”

“Uncle Charlie doesn’t have any children, but he used to live in Romania at a dragon preserve,” said Molly taking the paper back, “if you ever need to move the conversation along, just ask him about that.”

“Just skip down to Freddie and Roxy,” said Lucy as Molly rolled her eyes.

“Freddie is married to LeeAnne, and they have six kids all twins. First are the boys Benji and Johnny who they got pregnant with while in their seventh year. They had the girls, Grace and Hope after they got married, and then Dannie and Hayley back in April. Their lives are a mess, but don’t ask them about it because their happy.”

“You remember what happened to Roxanne right?” asked Lucy, pointing her spoon at him.

“Her hospitalization?” asked Artie and out of the corner of his eye he saw Devon give a quick nod.

“Yes,” said Molly, not looking up from her writing. “She’s dating Sean Finnigan, and we’re sure that he’s going to purpose in the next year.”

“How long have they been together?” asked Artie, he hadn’t really thought that Roxanne would’ve ever wanted to get married. He hadn’t known her well, but they played against each other for a few years at Hogwarts, Roxanne was also close to James and Molly, though less so when she went to St. Mungo’s.

“About a year and a half,” answered Lucy, “though that’s a rough guess, we didn’t know they were dating until he moved in with her, and that wasn’t really known either.”

“You know Rose and Scorpius with their two kids Hermes and Athena,” said Molly, moving forward, “and Hugo and his girlfriend Lyla Zabini.”

“I wouldn’t even bother with James, Molly,” said Lucy, “Al is married to Maggie and they have three kids who you met at Christmas, Al teaches Defense up at Hogwarts and Maggie is the matron healer.”

“I heard,” said Artie, and Molly smiled.

“Lily and her husband Ryan are attending university, which I don’t know why, but it’s not worth asking,” said Molly, as she put her pen down.

Just as she sat back, and handed Artie the paper, their waitress returned with their food. She topped off Artie’s coffee and passed out their food before leaving them again.

“Thank Merlin,” said Lucy as she picked up a piece of bacon. “I am starving.”

Molly giggled and reached across the table and picked up a piece of Lucy’s bacon, taking it for herself.

“I doubt you make it through a whole plate,” said Molly, as she winked at Artie.

He squeezed her knee, then tucked into his plate.


	12. Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puddlemere vs. Harpies game! Full of all the most exciting twist and turns and injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: player injury in the second half of the chapter.

** Chapter Eleven: Mercy **

By Shawn Mendes

_Take it easy on my heart,_

_Even though you don’t mean to hurt me,_

_You keep tearing me apart_

Molly opened her eyes, only to cover them with her arm as the weak winter sunlight streamed through the curtains. She was warm and cozy with Artie’s arm slung over her waist, his hand spread out over her stomach.

“Morning Angel,” he mumbled into her ear, before he pressed a kiss to the space underneath it.

Molly smiled, and used the arm covering her eyes to wrap it around his neck. She kissed his forehead and rolled onto her side to press her forehead against his.

“Morning Babe,” she whispered against his lips.

They stayed that way, both of them holding each other as they slowly woke up. Molly could feel Artie’s hand playing with her hair as his other moved up and down her back, scratching lightly. Molly rubbed his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“The teams are meeting for brunch at ten-thirty,” said Artie, his eyes were still closed, but Molly knew that he was awake.

“That sounds nice,” said Molly as she rubbed her nose against his. Usually Artie did this, rubbing his nose against hers, pressing their foreheads together, or pressing his cheek against her head. She loved how touchy he had started to get as the New Year’s started.

“What time is it now?” asked Artie, and Molly groaned as she rolled over to look at her alarm clock. Artie moved his hands up the back of her shirt and kneaded her back. She closed her eyes and moaned softly at the feeling.

“Almost nine,” she mumbled into her pillow, as Artie pressed his knuckles into her shoulder blades. She should’ve been giving him the massage, to help him relax before he started flying, but she wasn’t going to complain.

She pulled her shirt off as he started to rub her neck and shoulders, letting out another small moan as he hit the right spot on her shoulder. She giggled as he straddled her hips, and began working out the knots in her back.

“That feels so good,” she moaned as she stretched her arms out over her head, feeling her shoulders pop as she did so.

“I don’t know why you’re so tense,” he said as moved his hands up and down her back. “What’s been going on at the shop?”

“The shop has been good, though were about to get slow as the holidays are over, until Valentine’s Day that is,” Molly told him, as she closed her eyes. “I am getting worried about Lucy though with the baby coming in April, and she’ll be gone the whole summer so I’ll be trying to hire people, and keep the books in check, and keep the store stocked and up to date. Not to mention the usual craziness that’s my family.”

“Well… we go down to light training in the summer, only about three days a week, with a few practice games scattered in,” said Artie, and Molly had no idea where he was going, “I could help out the other days if you need someone to stock or fold clothes or watch the register.”

Molly pushed up on her elbows and looked at Artie over her shoulder. He was only in his boxers and had put his glasses on, making his eyes look slightly bigger than they actually were.

“You would really do that?” she asked him, before she laid her head back down, “that would be really helpful.”

“I don’t see why not,” said Artie and Molly smiled to herself as Artie went back to work.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she closed her eyes again.

“I like your shop, every time I step foot in there I see all the hard work that you and Lucy put into your business,” Artie told her, “I want to be a part of that.”

Molly nodded slowly, starting to feel herself doze off. She felt Artie move her hair off her shoulder where it fell when she looked back at him. She was almost asleep, until Artie began lightly tracing her spine with small, light kisses.

“Babe,” mumbled Molly as he kissed her shoulders. “Lay down with me.”

Artie did as he was told, and Molly climbed on top of him, kissing him softly. She put her hands into his hair, liking the way she could pull on it. She had wanted him to get a haircut, just to tidy up the sides a little, but was okay with it right now.

They lazily made out under the covers until Artie’s phone started ringing on his bedside table. Molly wrapped her arms around his chest and put her head between his shoulder blades when he rolled over and picked up his phone.

“’Lo,” mumbled Artie into his phone. Molly couldn’t hear what the other person was saying, nor did she really care. “Ahh, yeah, mmm’kay we’ll be there real quick, yeah, yeah, see ya.”

“What’s going on?” asked Molly, as she stroked a finger down his chest.

“That was Evan, he wanted to know if we were still coming to brunch, because it’s ten twenty,” said Artie, as he grabbed her hands. Molly slipped her hands out of his grip and sat up as he swung his legs off the bed.

It took them both a moment to actually get out of bed, but once they did, Molly headed into the bathroom while Artie got dressed. Molly pulled her hair back and brushed her teeth before deciding to just wash her face. She felt brighter and more awake as she looked back up at herself in the mirror.

She walked back into the bedroom as Artie walked into the bathroom, both of them getting caught in the door. Molly thought that he looked handsome in his Weasley sweater and jeans, though he did need to brush his hair.

“You look handsome Babe,” she told him as he put his hands on her shoulders and turned them around.

“You know, sometimes I can get my clothes right by myself,” he said with a smile, and Molly rolled her eyes.

“I know,” said Molly, putting her hands on her hips, “but I just do it better.”

“You’re not wrong on that one,” Artie told her, and Molly smiled as she headed over to the closet to find something for herself.

She pulled on a thick pair of leggings and her own Weasley sweater, her Nana had done right by making their sweaters in Puddlemere colors, even if Molly wasn’t the biggest fan of blue. She also pulled on the hat that Maria had gotten her for fixing up Evan’s winter uniform.

“Are we going to match today then? Because I got dressed first,” said Artie as he hugged her around the waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

“Come on,” said Molly pulling away from him, “let’s get going, before Evan calls again.”

~`~

They were only ten minutes late, but Artie could tell that Molly felt uncomfortable with being last ones to show up. He was used to the jeering and jabs at him for being late to everything.

“Alright,” said Artie as he pulled a chair out for Molly, “it was my fault, leave Molly out of it.”

“Oh no!” yelled Micah from down the table, sandwiched between his twin sisters. “She’s part of the team, and everyone on the team gets shit on!”

Artie frowned as he sat down beside Molly and accepted the menu that their server was handing out. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and bent in close to her, “don’t worry about them,” he told her, as she put the menu up in front of him.

“I’m not,” whispered Molly as she tucked herself closer to him. “James still isn’t here anyways.”

Artie nodded, James was constantly late, even more so than Artie. Though James had the excuse of a three year old kid, compared to Artie’s inability to get out of bed.

They browsed over the menu, and Artie took his arm off of Molly’s shoulders as she got up to use the bathroom. He put down his menu and looked around, being late, meant that they were pushed down to the Harpies side of the table. Molly was sitting next to Myra Dobbs, the Harpies Seeker, while Artie was next to his fellow Keeper, Erinn Davey.

“You lot ready to lose today?” asked Erinn as Artie reached for the coffee pot in front of Myra.

“No way,” said Artie, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “We’ve had a winning streak that you lot can’t break.”

Artie always liked when they played against the Harpies, they were a good team with a lot of strong players. He always looked forward to their summer scrimmages, and he always looked forward to playing against them in the league and the playoffs.

He was sure that they would win today, so far they had won every game, Artie felt like he was in tip-top shape this season. Though part of it was because he knew Molly was watching him play, and for some reason, that always gave him a confidence boost.

“Is there something going on in town?” asked Molly as she sat back down beside Artie and took his hand. “Or is it always crowded like that?”

“It’s the town anniversary,” said Myra, as she smiled at Molly, “they do it every year, big festival and everything. If you lot want to hang out after the game we’ll show you around. Lots of food and drinking and dancing if you like that thing.”

“I’m a Weasley,” said Molly, rolling her eyes, “the only things we do like are drinking, eating, and humiliating ourselves.”

“Oi Weasley!” called down Avery, “you hear from your cousin at all? We want to order!”

Artie rolled his eyes, he liked Avery, enjoyed playing Quidditch with him, and celebrating after games with him, but his social manners were nonexistent. Still though, Molly checked her phone with a little sigh.

“Jay is sick,” she whispered to Artie, showing him the message from James. “He’s coming to the game, but he won’t be able to come around any sooner.”

“He said to start without him!” Artie yelled down the table, and it worked out as their server started to make their rounds to get everyone’s orders.

“Poor Jason,” said Molly, just quiet enough that Artie nearly didn’t hear her. Maria wasn’t coming to the game, which meant that neither were Aaron or William who Molly loved to play with. She was also getting quite close with Maria too, which apparently was helping Lucy get along better with her oldest sister-in-law.

“He’ll be fine,” Artie reassured her, “I’m sure of it. If he’s anything like James he’ll bounce back quickly.”

Molly nodded, but Artie could feel the mood change quickly as the conversation flowed around them.

“Now are you the Weasley girl who owns the clothing shop or is that a different one?” asked Erinn, after their server left the room. “My sister got me some really cute shoes from there and I wanted to know if they do owl delivery.”

“I am,” said Molly, and Artie instantly saw her charm come back out, “I mean my sister and I own the shop. Though Lucy does most of the boring work and I do the fun stuff.”

Erinn laughed, and already Artie knew that he picked the wrong seat to sit in. “So then you do owl delivery?”

“Not quite yet, but were planning on getting it set up before Hogwarts starts back up in September,” explained Molly, “my sister is having a baby in April and I don’t think I could handle owl delivery and the shop by myself for the whole summer. But, we are going to start a monthly mailing list to get out some of the promotions and events that we host at the shop, if you would like to come around sometime and sign up that would help you know for when we do start an owl delivery.”

Erinn nodded, taking in everything that Molly was saying. “I’ll have to do that, I don’t quite make it out to London all that much, other than when we play these guys on their turf,” said Erinn as she knocked Artie’s elbow with her own.

Artie rubbed his elbow, but smiled to himself. He and Erinn had started in the League at about the same time, and they had quickly found out that they had a lot more in common than just keeping for their respected teams.

“Well when you come around just ask for me,” said Molly, before quickly adding, “I’m Molly by the way, I don’t think I introduced myself.”

“Erinn Davey, it’s very nice to meet you, Molly,” said Erinn as she held out her hand.

“Oh Dumbledore,” said Molly a bit louder than she probably meant to as she shook Erinn’s hand. “My cousin Lyla wrote that piece about you last year, you were amazing in the twenty hour game against the Falcons.”

Erinn smiled even bigger, obviously they had a lot more to talk about. “I didn’t know the Zabini’s and the Weasley’s were related,” she said and Artie sat back in his chair, he had definitely picked the wrong spot at the table.

“It’s a very long story,” said Molly quickly, and Artie couldn’t help but smile, he had noticed pretty early on in their first relationship that Molly never got flustered around her family, but instead whenever she was meeting new people. “Basically my mother and her brothers were taken in by the Greengrass family during the war. The Greengrass daughters who are now Astoria Malfoy and Daphne Zabini became really close to my mum and uncles, enough that they considered each other family. My sister and I grew up with their children being considered our cousins.”

“Huh,” said Erinn, more interested now, enough so that she was leaning closer to Molly, in front of Artie. “That’s very interesting, I don’t think I know of any other pureblood families doing that, other than maybe your grandparents?”

“Not that I know of,” said Molly smiling, before turning back to Artie. “What about you Babe?”

“No, I don’t know,” he said, before letting Erinn and Molly dive back into their conversation.

He sat back and listened until their food arrived, large steaming plates full of eggs and sausages and toast, some with bacon and sandwiches and others with oatmeal and in the case of Erinn, Owl O’s with a small pitcher of milk.

He sat back up in his chair as he began to eat, feeling himself grow warmer as he ate. Artie never really realized how hungry he was until he ate for the first time in a long time.

“I can show the two of you around when were done,” offered Erinn, between bites of her cold cereal and toast. “Unless you want to get up to the pitch.”

“Oliver will want us to go up to the pitch right away,” Artie told her, to which Erinn rolled her eyes. “But if the game wraps up in a timely manner, then we’ll stick around for the festival, sound good Angel?”

Molly paused in her bite of runny eggs and toast to nod before turning back to her food. Her eating habits were really the most Weasley part of her, that and her red hair and freckles.

Artie smiled to himself, as he honestly wouldn’t have her any other way.

~`~

Molly stood in the coach’s box as the Harpies crushed Puddlemere, as much fun as she had at brunch, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread she got once the game had started. Artie seemed to be getting attacked from every angle of the pitch. He had been traded out twice while his right arm and leg got mended from bludger attacks sent by the younger Wood twins. Ash and Alex were blurs through the sky, only pausing long enough to send a bludger in a deadly arch to whoever they wanted. She never knew how good their aim got, only having watched them play in a few games at Hogwarts during their younger years.

Cracks and crashes were heard throughout the match, all of them coming from Ash and Alex. Moments after each noise, someone was either knocked off their broom, or sent spiraling downward, dropping the Quaffle as they tried to get in control of themselves.

“And there goes Jacobs! Hit in the head with a bludger sent by Harpies Beater Ash Wood!” called out the announcer, and Molly closed her eyes. “Don’t worry folks! Jacobs teammate Potter caught him and is taking him down to the mediwizards! Coach Wood has sent out Milton to take over!”

Molly turned away from the window and sat down on the floor, pulling her legs into her chest. She opened her eyes, but her vision was blurry as she tried to not cry.

A bludger to the head was a serious injury, one that most professional players didn’t come back from.

“Molly!” said Ollie Jay, appearing in front of her, his hands crossed in front of him. Molly didn’t understand why he was always angry, probably because they were losing the game. “Go down to the medi room!”

“What?” asked Molly, she wasn’t used to being ordered around by anyone, let alone her youngest god-brother.

“Come on,” he said, holding his hand out to her, Molly ignored it and stood up. She followed Ollie as he led the way to the mediwizard’s room.

“Just knock,” whispered Ollie as they stood outside the door, but as Molly reached up to do just that, the door opened.

“I’ll go- oh here she is,” said Olivia Fields as she almost walked into Molly. Molly hadn’t seen Olivia in years, not since Olivia had graduated from Hogwarts at least. She had been a prefect when Molly was starting at Hogwarts, now she was the Puddlemere team Healer.

“How bad is it?” asked Molly, as out of the corner of her eye she saw Ollie walk away. “Is he going to be okay?”

“It’s bad, but he will be okay,” Olivia told her as she pulled Molly into the small exam room.

Molly had her experience with hospitals and clinics and even the hospital ward at Hogwarts, but the little mediwizard exam room was a joke. There was one small table which Artie was laying on, his legs dangling over the end while his back was completely flat.

Molly quickly walked over, her hands hovering just over his face. The right side of his face was already bruising, his nose was broken, but it looked as if the bleeding had stopped, unlike the large cut on his cheekbone. Molly always knew that Quidditch was dangerous, she had first met Artie when he had been hospitalized after being struck by lightning.

But this was worse. She would trade his white hair and burned skin for his bloody and bruised face any day.

She lightly traced her fingers along his left cheek, and watched as he slowly blinked awake. Molly brushed a tuff of hair behind his ear, as he looked up at her.

“Hey Babe,” she whispered as she held his uninjured cheek in her hand. “How you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been struck by lightning,” he told her with a large crooked smile as he put a hand on her wrist. “Don’t cry Angel.”

Molly wiped at her eyes, and leaned down to kiss him. He smiled against her lips and she watched as a small cut on his lip tore open more and began bleeding. He looked odd with half of his face broken and bruised.

“Molly,” said a voice behind her and she turned her head to see Oliver standing behind her. “Let’s let Olivia fix Artie up.”

Molly nodded as Oliver led her out to the hallway, closing the door tightly behind them. She turned to look at him as he crossed his arms and put himself between her and the door.

“Is he going to be okay?” she asked, looking up at him. “Or is he not going to be able to bounce back?”

“He’ll be okay,” said Oliver, uncrossing his arms as soon as he saw the tension in Molly’s shoulders leave. “But the bludger also hit his shoulder, which is a problem. He’ll be out for at least two weeks and will need some physical therapy for at least that time. I’m going to send him home with you as soon as Olivia is done.”

Molly felt herself tense up again, Oliver had been taken out of professional play by a bludger to his shoulder, she had been worried that something like this would happen to Artie. She couldn’t imagine him unable to play, he loved his team, his position, and just generally being able to play the game. “How long?” she whispered, staring up at Oliver.

“At least three weeks, two of them off practice and one when he’s back, but if he’s not up to his old standard, then we’ll go from there,” Oliver told her, and Molly felt her heart drop to her stomach, he sounded nervous and not at all reassured that Artie would be fine. The very thought of Artie not being able to play, not being a Quidditch player, the amazing Keeper that he was, scared her.

“Okay,” she said, because there was nothing else to say. Either Artie would heal and everything would go back to normal, or they would have bigger problems to face.

“I’m not going to make you tell him, but I would like for you to be there when _I_ tell him that he won’t be coming to practice for the next few weeks,” said Oliver and Molly could hear how much this was hurting him. She knew that Oliver was close to all of his players, not just because they were his children or married to one of them, but because Oliver truly did care for his players. They listened to him and stuck their necks out to bring a victory for him and the team he loved.

“Of course,” she whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes again. “I think you’ll need the support more than him.”

“It would’ve been either me or Katie, but even if she was here I would’ve wanted it to be me,” he told her as he put a hand on Molly’s shoulder and wiped away her tears with his other. Sometimes, Molly forgot that Oliver was her godfather and not her Uncle George, she wasn’t as close to him as she was to her uncle, but that didn’t matter now. As she wrapped her arms around him and felt herself fall apart.

“Thank you,” she sobbed as he rubbed her back, “I wouldn’t know how to tell him.”

~`~

Artie sat down on the couch, tired and sore and hurting as Molly wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

“I’ll make some tea,” said Molly, just before she leaned down and kissed his cheek. “You just relax.”

It would be the only thing he could do, despite all the healing spells that Olivia put on him, the right side of his face, neck, and shoulders hurt. His face felt as if it was throbbing, especially his cheek.

He turned on the TV with the flick of his wand, using his left hand. He could barely lift his right arm, not without a pain shooting up his arm and paralyzing his whole body.

“Here,” said Molly handing him a large mug of tea. She sat down beside him with her own large cup of tea. “This will make you feel better.”

Artie slowly brought the cup to his mouth and sipped carefully to not burn himself. He tucked his injured side into Molly’s chest, his head resting on her shoulder. He wanted to eat, then sleep until he couldn’t anymore.

He just didn’t want to think about what Oliver had told him, that he was more injured than he thought. He had felt the bludger hit his shoulder and move up to his face. It had shocked him enough for him to slip off the back of his broom, but luckily James had caught him before he hit the ground.

He had passed out from the pain as they hauled him to the medi-room, but the second that Molly touched him, traced her fingers over his uninjured side, he woke up. Seeing her standing over him and crying because she was so scared for him had warmed his heart.

“I love you,” he whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. He wrapped his arm around her waist and buried his face deeper into her shoulder and neck. He could feel her hand tug lightly at his hair as she played with his hair.

“You’ll feel better in the morning, I promise,” whispered Molly, before he felt her lips brush against his hair line.

“I can’t even move my arm Molly,” he mumbled into her neck, as she held him close.

He felt completely hopeless, as not only did he get injured, they lost the game. In his very limited defense, the Harpies chasers had really brought up their training. They were amazing this year compared to the last few he had played with them, though they wouldn’t have done as well if Ash and Alex were on the bench like most first year players were.

Molly got up a little while later when there was a knock on the door and came back with a bag full of Chinese food. She sat down and handed Artie a carton of sweet and sour pork before giving him a fork to eat with. She grabbed her own carton of orange chicken and began eating, much easier than he was. His face hurt whenever he chewed, but he was hungry.

Molly flipped through the channels until she landed on a Muggle stand up show. Artie relaxed back into Molly’s side as they ate and booed at the bad performers. He had gotten used to Molly’s cousins and uncles cracking funnier jokes than some of the stand ups on TV.

“Did I tell you that Rose wanted to know if we could babysit next Tuesday night?” asked Molly as Artie tucked his head her shoulder. “She’s been a bit scattered since Scorpius went to America.”

“What is he doing in America?” asked Artie, he couldn’t remember if Molly had even told him anything about that.

“Did I not tell you?” she said more to herself than him, before telling him, “one of his skips jumped to America and he had to bring him back for trial. Rose has just been having trouble with Athena and asked if we could help give her night off.”

“That’s fine with me,” said Artie as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He was so tired and his face was throbbing still from his injuries.

He closed his eyes as Molly lightly brushed her fingers through his hair and over his face. She helped him lay down with his head in her lap and his legs dangling over the arm of the couch.

“Should we go to bed Babe,” she whispered as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. Her fingers were still running through his hair and it felt blissful.

“I love you,” he whispered, as he opened his eyes and looked at her. Her eyes were rimmed with red still from the emotion of the day, but they still looked warm and molten as she looked down at him.

“I love you too,” she whispered as she touched the cut on his cheek. “Everything will be okay, I’m sure of it.”

He reached up with his good arm and touched her cheek, marveling in how soft and smooth her skin was. He gently wiped away a tear out of the corner of her eye. Part of him believed her when she said that he would be okay, but this was his second bludger attack in the last few months.

“Let’s go to bed,” she whispered after a few minutes, and he relented. She helped him get off the couch and then undressed before climbing into bed after him. He had no idea how such a good day, such a good morning, turned into this.

He kissed her as he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and pulled her close. He had thought that the afternoon had been horrible, but at least he had Molly.

He would always want Molly.

~`~

Molly stared up at the ceiling, she couldn’t sleep, and not just because Artie was snoring in her ear. She was worried about him and his career, what he was going to do over the next few weeks. She already worried about him during his games, she worried about every bruise and cut he came home with after his practices.

He was young though, Keepers usually were the oldest team members, only second to Beaters. But Artie had definitely come into Puddlemere at the right time, with Michael Anderson deciding to move to the Falcons the same summer that Artie started.

She turned her head, not able to look at the ceiling anymore, and lightly brushed her fingers over the bandage cut on Artie’s cheekbone. She traced the bruises on his temple and jaw, his nose was now slightly crooked with the break, but at least it was fixed.

“Please stop,” mumbled Artie as he slowly opened his eyes. “It hurts.”

“I’m sorry,” Molly whispered, pulling her hand back.

“Why are you still awake? Go to sleep Molly,” he said softly, as his arm tightened around her waist. “I’m fine, Angel.”

Molly sighed, and tucked herself into Artie’s neck, feeling his chin rest on the top of her head. She wrapped her arms carefully around his chest, and listened as he slowly breathed in and out until he fell asleep again.

She wasn’t surprised that Artie told her that he would be fine, but he didn’t know that she had kept up with his career over the last few years. It had been her only sense of closure, of peace between them for a long time.

She felt him pull her even closer to him with a soft sigh, their stomachs and chests pressed together. Molly wrapped her ankle around his knee as his ankle tucked itself under her foot. They usually got tangled up in each other sometime in the middle of the night. She couldn’t remember the last time they woke up on the other side of the bed from each other.

She ran her hands down his back and heard him sigh again as she pressed her knuckles into a knot in his back. He had given her a full massage that morning, making her relax and calm, even if they were late to brunch because of it.

Molly didn’t even realize that Artie was awake again until she heard him moan softly into her hair, as she continued rubbing out the knots in his back. She untangled herself as he rolled on to his side and she straddled his hips, kneading his back.

“Oh Molly, that feels good,” he mumbled as she kept moving her hands up and down his back, before coming to his shoulder. “Keep going.”

“I don’t want to hurt you more,” she told him, as her hands rested just below his shoulder blades.

“You won’t,” he mumbled, and Molly hesitated until he sighed. “You could never hurt me, Molly.”

It wasn’t true, because she had once hurt him, but she pressed forward and dug her knuckles deep into his shoulders. He was quiet as she slowly worked her way up, until she hit the spot where the bludger hit him.

“Not there!” he cried out, rolling over and grabbing his shoulder, throwing Molly off of him in the process. Molly hit the ground, and felt a tingle go up her spine as her breath was knocked out of her lungs.

“I’m sorry,” she told him as she scrambled up on to the bed. “I told you I didn’t want to hurt you!”

There were tears in his eyes as he clutched his shoulder in pain and Molly felt tears come to her own eyes as she watched him writhe in pain.

“I’m so sorry Baby,” she whispered as she held his face in her hands, wishing she could take the pain away. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

It took a few moments, but Artie finally calmed down as she cradled his face in her hands. She leaned down and kissed him softly, hoping that he would forgive her.

“I’m okay,” he mumbled against her lips, “it’s okay Molly-Love.”

“You haven’t called me that in years,” she told him, pulling away to look in his eyes, they were bright, but she could see how much pain he was still in.

“Is it okay?” he whispered, putting his good hand on one of her hands. She felt him stroke the back of her hand as he looked up at her.

“Yeah, Baby,” she whispered, brushing her lips against his, “I’ve missed it.”

She kissed him, hoping that he would understand how sorry she was for hurting him. Hoping that he would understand how much she loved him.


	13. I.F.L.Y.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie spend some time with Rose and her children (featuring an emotional Lucy), go to a baby shower for Maria and Evan Wood (featuring an anxious Devon), and spend their first game apart (featuring some mutual anxiety from both of them).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, we're about halfway through the story and I am so excited to be here! I love Molly as a character and adore Artie and feel like this chapter shows us some real maturity from both of them.

** Chapter Twelve: I.F.L.Y. **

By Bazzi

_Love you through the better day, love you through the rainy ones_

_Champion, you’re number one, yeah that’s true_

Artie reached over his head and heard his shoulder pop, before crippling pain made his arm go numb. He quickly pulled Hermes against his chest with his left arm as his right arm hung limply by his side.

After watching Hermes and Athena for Rose for a few hours the week before, Artie had offered up his services to Rose while he was out of practice. He was going to physical therapy every other day, but running after Hermes seemed to be better than what his Healer had him doing.

He sat down on the couch with Hermes still in his arms, while Hermes’ cat Ape, a fluffy little orange thing jumped up into Hermes’ lap. He didn’t really understand when Hermes named his cat Ape, but he didn’t complain. Ape was well behaved and followed after Hermes everywhere he went.

“Oh thank you so much for watching him for me,” said Rose as she walked into the living room and saw Artie and Hermes together. “I was able to get some shopping done with Athena asleep.”

She patted the back of the baby girl that was pressed against her in a little sling. Artie had been surprised that he hadn’t heard Rose come home, mostly because Athena woke up crying and never stopped. Athena was an adorable baby, but a nightmare without Scorpius around.

“It was no problem, Hermes is a good kid,” Artie told her as Hermes climbed off of his lap and toddled over to Rose’s legs, holding on to her.

“That’s good to hear,” said Rose as she leaned down slightly and patted Hermes head. “Is Molly coming around tonight?”

“I can call her, I’m sure she wouldn’t say no to Athena cuddles,” he told her and Rose smiled.

“I’ll make some dinner,” said Rose and Artie knew that if Molly wasn’t going to come around, he would stay just for dinner. Rose was an amazing cook.

“Give me Athena and I’ll call Molly, though fair warning, she and Lucy are closing together tonight so Lucy may come over too,” said Artie as Rose untucked Athena and handed her to him. Artie carefully tucked her into his good arm and pulled his phone out as Rose went into the kitchen with Hermes.

Artie sat back down on the couch and carefully cradled Athena against his chest as he laid down, before digging his phone out of his pocket.

“Hello,” said Molly as Artie carefully rubbed Athena’s back. She was very cute when she was sleeping, with her arms and legs tucked into her chest as she slept.

“Hey,” he said softly, watching to see if Athena would stir, when she didn’t he continued on. “I’m at Rose’s, she wants to know if you’re coming for dinner.”

“Oh, um, I don’t know, I wasn’t planning on it, but you’re not home then,” said Molly and Artie could hear her chewing over her words. “Is Athena asleep?”

“She’s on my chest right now,” he told her, as he looked back down at Athena, “and Hermes has been in a good mood all day too.”

“What about Rose? Has she been weepy again?”

Artie sat up enough to look into the kitchen where Rose was chopping up something while Hermes sat on the counter watching her with a big smile on his face. “No, she’s been fine.”

“Okay, Lucy and I will be around in about…” she paused and he was sure that she was looking for a clock, “twenty minutes or so?”

“I’ll see you then Molly-Love,” he told her and heard her giggle into the phone.

“Okay,” she whispered into the phone, “I’ll see you soon.”

He set his phone down and closed his eyes, his shoulder had gone from a strong sharp pain to a light throbbing. He was supposed to go back to practice next week, but he didn’t see that happening anytime soon. Oliver had checked in with him yesterday and told him to keep focusing on healing himself, but Artie was getting restless. He wanted to get back to practice, back to what he loved, but his body was fighting against him.

He sighed, as Athena stirred, before cuddling into his chest. Artie had been nervous the first time that Rose had thrusted Athena into his arms, but he quickly realized that all Athena wanted was comfort and attention. She was really a cuddly baby, who just wanted all the attention she could get.

He had no problem giving it to her, in fact, he quite liked giving her the attention.

Artie heard Molly and Lucy arrive before he saw them. He wished that he had known sooner just how close Molly and Lucy were to Rose and Scorpius. With Scorpius gone in America, the pair of them were constantly checking in on Rose, trying to help her more than even their parents were. Though Artie didn’t know too much about Rose’s parents, Ron and Hermione Weasley, other than her father being an Auror and her mother who was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

He figured that they must be pretty busy with the Ministry.

He sat up slightly as Molly walked into the living room, spotting him lying across the couch. She picked up Athena carefully, cradling her against her chest as Artie fully sat up and moved his legs. She sat down beside him and cuddled into his side.

He kissed her cheek as he wrapped his good arm around her, and she smiled as she looked up at him. “How was your day Angel?” he whispered as she put her head on his shoulder.

“Good,” she told him, as she played with the little bit of hair on Athena’s head. Her hair laid flat on her head and was brown, which was the weirdest thing. Artie was sure that Weasley’s only had red haired children.

He knew for a fact that if he and Molly had a child, then the baby would definitely have red hair.

Artie rested his cheek against Molly’s hair and sighed softly, he was tired after chasing around Hermes all day. He always had fun hanging out with Hermes, he was a lot like James in his unrelenting energy and happy attitude.

“How was your day, Artie?” asked Molly as she carefully arranged Athena in her arms so she could put her hand on his thigh. “How was physical therapy?”

“I had fun with Hermes, but physical therapy was horrible,” Artie told her, as she patted his leg. “It has not been fun stretching and pulling my shoulder like that.”

“Have they been doing any spell work?” asked Molly, and Artie nodded before realizing that she couldn’t see him.

“Yeah, they did some the other day,” he told her, that had been the worse day, but it had helped him get more of his mobility back.

They sat in companionable silence, just the two of them and Athena. Artie kissed the top of Molly’s head, thankfully his face had recovered faster than his shoulder, except for the cut on his cheekbone. He had known that it would scar over the moment he saw it in the mirror while Molly had changed his bandage the morning after he got injured.

“Have you talked to Oliver at all?” asked Molly and Artie pulled away slightly.

“I don’t think I’ll be playing next weekend,” he told her as she looked up at him. “I don’t feel like I’ll be ready by then.”

“You still have this week and Oliver will bench you if you’re not feeling quite up to it,” she told him, and Artie nodded, he knew that she was telling him this just to reassure herself.

“I told him that I probably won’t be ready for practice next week,” Artie told her, and she nodded against his shoulder. “It’s not worth it to get our hopes up too high.”

“Yeah,” said Molly turning back to Athena, “but sometimes you need to have big expectations. Take it from the girl who fought cancer and won, twice.”

Artie smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead, sometimes he did forget that Molly was stronger than him, had been striped to her core more than he ever had.

“You’re right,” he told her, when he pulled back, “I should’ve known better.”

~`~

Molly sat down beside Lucy and across from Rose and Artie, she felt a little odd to not be sitting next to Artie. Usually they were a bit inappropriate and put their hands on each other under the table, something that Molly had come used to, but at least she could play footsie with him across the table.

“Molly,” said Rose quietly, as she cut up chicken for Hermes, “that’s my foot and ankle you keep playing footsie with.”

Molly felt herself turn red as she pulled her feet back, while Lucy laughed beside her. She looked down at her chicken and veggies as she slowly felt the heat in her face leave.

“Well,” said Lucy once she had calmed down from her laughing fit, “as I was saying, Maria’s baby shower is this weekend and I could use some back up.”

“We’re going to that already,” said Artie, pointing his fork at Molly. “I told you that right?”

“No,” said Molly looking up at him, “you never told me that, but thankfully I already made some onesies for them.”

“You made them onesies?” asked Rose, as she handed Hermes a plate of cut up chicken and veggies. “Are they like the ones you made me?”

“There in Puddlemere’s colors,” Molly told her, as she started to cut her own chicken, “with the baby’s name embroider in the back. I think Evan will probably like them more, but they are really cute.”

“I feel like I’m missing part of the conversation,” said Rose as she turned to her own plate, “who are Maria and Evan?”

“Maria is my oldest sister-in-law,” explained Lucy, as she put her fork and knife at her sides, “and Evan, her husband, is Katie’s oldest brother.”

“The whole team is supposed to come,” said Artie offhandedly, and Molly was almost tempted to kick him under the table. “I could’ve sworn I told you.”

“You did not,” Molly told him, hoping that he would drop that part of the conversation. “But it’s fine.”

“Well,” said Rose between bites of her dinner, “if you want me to make some brownies or cookies, just let me know. All of you have been really helpful to me.”

“Where’s Devon anyways?” asked Artie, turning to Lucy.

“Oh,” said Lucy, between bites, “he’s covering for Sean at the radio station tonight. I was just going to follow Molly home for dinner tonight.”

“I don’t think I would’ve had enough to feed you and the baby,” said Artie, even though Molly was sure that they would’ve. “Unless Baby L hasn’t been that hungry lately.”

“Baby L has been driving me crazy,” said Lucy as she rubbed her stomach. “Nearly kept me up all night the last few days, Devon got so annoyed with me tossing and turning he slept on the couch last night. I’m really half tempted to make him sleep out there tonight also.”

“At least he’s there for you to kick out,” said Rose as she wiped at Hermes face. “Scorpius left before I told him I was pregnant again, and it’s been almost two weeks since he left and I haven’t heard anything from him.”

“Rose,” said Lucy, and Molly could already hear the emotion in Lucy’s voice from the one word. “Why didn’t you tell us that you were expecting again? If you need more help let us know!”

Molly put her hand on her sister’s arm, she could hear the beginning of hysterics in her voice, and knew that a hormonal meltdown was coming soon if she didn’t intervene. “Lucy,” she said softly, “Rose will be okay, Artie and I can help; you still have so much work to do to get yourself ready for your own baby.”

“Don’t worry about me Lucy,” said Rose turning to look at Lucy, her towel still in her hand. “This is my third go around, I’ll be fine until Scorpius gets back.”

Lucy sat back and put her hands on her swollen stomach, she had been complaining to Molly all day about the baby. The thought of her giving help to Rose, almost made her want to giggle, though Molly knew that Lucy would do it in a heartbeat if Rose asked.

“Don’t worry about me,” said Lucy, tears in her eyes and Molly knew that she was gone. Lucy had always been a crier, something that Molly never really minded, but now was really not the time. “I have Devon, even if he’s also driving me crazy. Rosie you don’t have Scorpius with you, don’t be afraid to use me.”

“I won’t,” said Rose in a very calm and reassuring voice, as Lucy began sobbing quietly. “I promise Lucy.”

Lucy nodded before she started to rub at her eyes, smearing her makeup as she did so. Molly would’ve found it funny, if she didn’t already know that Lucy was already in a too fragile state. Molly really couldn’t wait for her to have Baby L just so she could get her sister back.

“Oh Merlin,” said Lucy as she looked at her black smeared hands. “I am such a mess now.”

Molly giggled and wrapped her arms around Lucy’s shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. “You’ll be back to normal the second you have Baby L. Remember how crazy Katie got while she was pregnant with Jay, or how emotional LeeAnne when she was pregnant with Hope and Grace. You just have a bit of the Weasley pregnancy craziness.”

“Apparently Auntie Ginny had such bad cravings with Lily she used to wake Uncle Harry up in the middle of the night to do a London run,” said Rose, with a roll of her eyes, “and Aunt Angelina would cry at anything in the later months with Freddie and Roxanne.”

“Mum would make dad sleep on the couch all the time too,” Molly told Lucy as she let go of her shoulders. “It’s only fair that you make Devon do the same.”

“Thanks,” said Lucy as she wiped at her eyes again, smearing her makeup even worse. “This has just been so much harder than I thought it would’ve been. I thought that it would be so much easier because Victoire had four and Annabelle had five, but obviously I was wrong.”

“It’s horrible,” said Rose as she rubbed her stomach. “But nothing is better than holding your baby for the first time and watching them learn to talk and walk and become little witches and wizards themselves.”

Molly smiled, because she honestly couldn’t wait for that to happen to her. She wanted a baby, a child of her own to look up to her and follow her around like Hermes did to Rose.

She shared a quick glance with Artie before looking back down at her now cold plate. She was sure that he was starting to feel the same way.

~`~

Artie sighed as he bounced William, Evan and Maria’s youngest son, on his knee. He really liked his teammate’s children, but he didn’t always have the patience for them. William was only two, while his older brother Aaron was five, James’ son Jason was three, and Carla’s daughter Dannie was six. All of them were wild and loud and crazy, but seeing as three of them were Wood babies, one also a Potter kid, he wasn’t too surprised.

It was mainly Carla’s daughter that surprised him. Carla wasn’t like her fellow Beater Avery, she was calmer and more level headed, but it seemed that her daughter was the opposite. Dannie was chasing after Aaron and Jason while screaming at the top of her lungs. Artie had decided to keep William with him while his parents were distracted.

He was excited too for Evan and Maria’s newest addition, even if that meant Evan was out for a few weeks on his paternity leave. At least Oliver had the hindsight to put their reserve Seeker Kyle into play for the a few games.

“Mama,” said William as he pointed at Lucy, and Artie had to hold back a laugh. William had been pointing at his mother Maria, Lucy, and Maria’s younger sister Cara who were all pregnant whenever they walked passed. “Mama baby.”

Artie watched as Molly walked around the room, she had been sticking close to Lucy for support as Lucy’s sister-in-law’s didn’t seem to be very fond of her. He really didn’t understand how anyone couldn’t like Lucy, she was smart and funny and always made him feel welcome even when she was in a state of hormonal breakdown.

“Merlin this is annoying,” said Devon as he sat down beside Artie and handed him a beer. “At least Evan made sure there was alcohol for everyone not expecting.”

Artie took the other beer out of Devon’s hand and shotguned it before opening the other. “Doesn’t that mean there’s none for you then?” asked Artie as he took a sip of his beer.

“Lucy is all hormones and crying right now,” said Devon as William climbed onto his lap. Devon unconsciously tucked him into his arms, holding his nephew to his chest. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it through this pregnancy without a drink.”

“I’ll drink to that,” said Artie, taking another drink of his beer, before winking at Devon. “It’s not too long now is it?”

“At least April, we have almost three months left,” said Devon and Artie couldn’t blame him for wanting to drink. “I just don’t know how to comfort her when she goes crazy, I mean she kicked me out of bed the other night.”

Artie sipped his beer, not wanting to tell him that it had been Molly’s suggestion to do it.

“She cries all the time and we haven’t had sex-“

“Dude,” said Artie, putting a hand up, he really didn’t care to hear about this. “I don’t need to know all of this, and William is listening to everything that you’re saying.”

“Oh,” said Devon quietly, “sorry, I just don’t really have anyone to talk to about this. Evan is busy with his own kids and Jack is an arse, didn’t even come today. None of my own friends even understand why I got married, let alone want to have a baby.”

Artie felt bad suddenly, he had no idea how Devon had been fairing through all of this. It must’ve been quite the step for him and Lucy to decide to have the baby, but it was what they wanted.

“I really didn’t think we would get pregnant so quickly,” said Devon as William scrambled out of his arms and ran after his brother as the kids passed by them. “When we talked about trying, I thought it would be a year or at least six months, but a week later she pissed on the stick and we were having a baby. She was already pregnant and we didn’t know, I honestly don’t think that we’re ready yet to be parents.”

Artie put his beer down and turned to properly look at Devon. He looked so defeated and sad, something that Artie could understand.

“Look,” said Artie quietly, as Devon turned to look at him. “You don’t plan on walking out of Lucy and the baby do you?”

“Never,” said Devon, looking mortified at the very thought of leaving Lucy or their unborn baby. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because that’s what my dad did,” Artie told him, as he put his good hand on Devon’s shoulder. “And just by saying no to that, I know that you have nothing to worry about. You love Lucy and Baby L, that’s all you need to tell yourself.”

“Yeah,” said Devon, smiling at Artie. “Thank you.”

“I’m sure if you just talk to Lucy you’ll be surprised by how much she needs you Devon,” Artie told him as he pulled his hand back. “She was quite upset the other night at dinner.”

“She probably didn’t say anything, but she was angry at me for covering for Sean that night, and for sleeping on the couch the night before,” said Devon as Artie picked his beer back up. “But she also came home very weepy for some reason and wouldn’t tell me what happened while she was at Rose’s.”

“Just talk to her,” Artie told him, “you never know, you could get laid tonight if things go well.”

Devon tipped his head back and laughed, and Artie smiled before finishing off his drink.

“What are the two of you clucking about?” asked Molly as she sat down beside Artie, handing him another beer while she sipped her own. “Devon I could hear you laughing all the way in the kitchen.”

“I made a good joke,” Artie told her, winking at Devon before he left them. “How is Lucy doing?”

“I don’t understand why Maria, Cara, and Evelynn are so mean to her,” said Molly as she looked up at him. He could see the fire in her eyes again and knew that she was upset. “She’s only trying to be nice and to get along.”

“You don’t think they’re still upset about them getting married at seventeen?” asked Artie as he found Lucy in the crowd, with Devon quickly going to her side. Even from across the room, he could see that Lucy was crying.

“Probably,” said Molly with a shrug, “but it’s a bit ridiculous to still be upset about it, it’s been over three years now, for Dumbledore’s sake their having a baby in three months.”

Artie laced his fingers through hers, he wanted to get out of here. He could feel the beginnings of a headache and his shoulder was throbbing with pain. He honestly just wanted to get drunk with Molly back in their flat and order a pizza.

“Let’s go home Babe,” said Molly before she tipped her head back and finished her beer. “I’m tired and this is so boring now that they’ve already opened the gifts.”

Artie smiled, and shotguned the beer that Molly had given him before he stood up and pulled her up with him. Sometimes it was as if she could read his mind.

“Thank Merlin,” he said, feeling the three beers he had just drank. “I’m ready for some pizza and TV.”

~`~

Molly giggled as Artie straddled her hips and kissed her neck. This was the most affection that he had given her since his injury, but she wasn’t going to argue. She had known that he was in a lot more pain than he had let her know, but she hadn’t wanted to push him too much.

“Artie,” she said with a loud giggle as she pulled on his hair. He pulled away and smiled at her, Molly looked up at him and quickly realized why he was like this. “Artie your drunk.”

“Mmmm, yes,” he said with a lazy slur in his voice. “It’s…fine.”

Molly smiled and pulled him back down to her, kissing him softly. He was warm on top of her and she couldn’t help but laugh when he lost his balance on top of her.

“Baby,” she said softly as he tucked himself into her neck. “I think you need some water.”

“I feel good,” he mumbled as she rubbed a hand up and down his back. “I love you, Molly.”

Molly kissed the top of his head as he laid on top of her, he was a bit heavy, but she liked the weight. She kept running her fingers through his hair and down his neck and back, making small soothing circles. Within minutes, he was asleep, snoring into her neck.

She felt his arm wrap around her waist as he cuddled closer to her, which is what he always did whenever she came to bed late and he was already asleep. She would’ve once thought it was weird to have someone crave to be closer to her like this.

Artie’s snores were broken up by soft sighs as she rubbed his back. Molly smiled with each sigh and held him a little tighter.

She grabbed her wand and summoned a notebook and a pen when it was clear that Artie wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon. Going to Maria’s baby shower had given her a few ideas for Lucy’s baby shower that Molly was tasked with planning.

Molly was a bit nervous about it, but she had talked to Becca the few times she had gone to the Leaky Cauldron after closing and had seen her there. Becca’s job was event planning at her family’s hotel, the Dragon Egg’s Inn, and she had planned Rose’s first baby shower also.

Molly flipped through the notebook and found her pervious notes, crossing out the things she knew wasn’t going to work and adding a few ideas that she thought worked well. Maria’s sisters, Cara and Evelynn, had done a good job with pulling together a good party.

As she wrote, she occasionally turned back to Artie and ran her fingers through his hair, or kissed his forehead. It was still early, but yesterday had been hard for him, sitting up in the coach’s box and watching his teammates play without him. Molly had come along mainly so she could keep an eye on him so he didn’t go down to the pitch.

She had kept her hand on his knee, as it seemed to be the only thing keeping him calm. As he kept his eyes on Elouise Milton, the reserve Keeper. Molly had met her a few times, she was nice, just quiet and kept to herself as it seemed most of the reserve players were. She was a year younger than Molly and had been a Ravenclaw, but Molly didn’t remember seeing her play when she was at Hogwarts.

Molly had stopped paying attention to Quidditch at Hogwarts when Artie had graduated, and she stopped paying attention to Quidditch when they broke up.

Except for whenever Artie was mentioned in the _Daily Prophet_ or in _Witch Weekly_. She never went out of her way to check in on him, but she always got more and more curious as the Quidditch season went on.

She had made a mistake that had ended them, and had broken her own heart in the process, not to mention Artie’s.

Molly kissed his forehead again, and felt him press his nose into her neck, sighing softly as he did so. She had no idea what he was dreaming about, she could never tell, but she knew that it must’ve been something good.

She flipped down a few pages in her notebook where she had been doodling a few days before while bored at the shop. She looked at the list of names she had written down, each and every one of them give her a little spark of happiness.

_Willa Lucille Jacobs_

_Charlotte Lucille Jacobs_

_Charlotte Roslyn Jacobs_

_Carolynn Roslyn Jacobs_

_Penelope Audrey Jacobs_

_Gwendolyn Audrey Jacobs_

_George Arthur Jacobs_

_Frederick Arthur Jacobs_

_Mason Arthur Jacobs_

_David Percival Jacobs_

_Ignatius Arthur Jacobs_

_Ignatius Percival Jacobs_

“Molly,” mumbled Artie, and she threw her notebook across the room, sure that he was awake. She glanced down at him and saw that he was still asleep. She rarely ever woke up when he was talking in his sleep, but when she did, it was usually just to hear him say her name again. “Molly… love.”

Molly ran her fingers through his hair and giggled to herself as she summon her notebook again. She was a little embarrassed by the list of baby names she had written, knowing that they weren’t ready to have a baby anytime soon.

She had once thought that she wanted to have a baby as soon as she could. She had wanted to be married with a baby right out of Hogwarts, even though she had watched her cousin’s struggle doing this.

Part of her knew it was because she almost didn’t get to have a future. It was what all the kids in the children’s ward talk about, growing up and going to school, getting married, having children. She had lost friends that had never made it to school, that would never graduate, that would never get married.

She at least got to go to school, got to graduate, got to open her clothing shop in Diagon Alley; she was the Maid of Honor for her sister and a bridesmaid for several of her cousins, and she had even gotten married herself. A baby would push it all over the top right now, she wouldn’t be able to handle herself.

“Molly,” mumbled Artie again, and Molly looked down to see he was awake, but barely so. His eyes looked bloodshot as he looked up at her, and she closed her notebook as she helped him sit up.

“Hey Babe,” whispered Molly as he rubbed at his eyes. “Why don’t we go to bed?”

“Mmmm,” said Artie as he slowly climbed off of her, “’kay.”

She led the way to their bedroom, flicking her wand to turn off the lights as she went. Before watching as Artie got undressed and slipped under the covers. She heard him snoring again as she went to the bathroom and got herself ready for bed, before slipping in beside him.

~`~

Artie stretched his arm as high as he could over his head, feeling great as there was no pain in his shoulder. It had taken less time than he thought to get his mobility back, but he still had to sit out three games.

He had gotten the go ahead from his Healer to go back to practice, but Oliver was having him sit out one more game to rest his shoulder. Artie wasn’t complaining, even when Molly had told him that she wasn’t coming because Lucy needed the day off.

“Will you please wear blue?” he asked her as he watched her get dressed, he had gotten used to seeing her in blue every Saturday.

“I can do that,” she said as she pulled her clothes out of the closet.

He laid back in bed and listened as she got ready walking back and forth from the bedroom to the bathroom. She was usually much quieter in the mornings when she was out the door before him, but Saturdays were usually their day.

“Good luck today, Baby,” whispered Molly, and Artie opened his eyes to see Molly standing in front of him. “I’ll put the game on in the shop when it’s time.”

Artie held his arms out for her, and Molly sat down in his lap, he pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Angel,” he whispered as she giggled.

“I love you too,” she whispered, before climbing out of his hands. “We’re going to my parents for dinner tonight, I’m going to bring a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread when I come, so don’t worry about picking up anything.”

Artie sighed and looked up at her, she was a bit blurry without his glasses on, but he knew she would be upset if he didn’t come to dinner. “Okay,” he told her and she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

“Have a good game Babe,” Molly told him as she headed to the door, “I’ll see you later.”

Artie laid in bed for a while longer, even after he heard the front door open and close and Molly leave. The game started at ten-thirty today, and he knew he need to get to the pitch by ten, even if he was just going to be riding the bench.

He walked into the kitchen and found that Molly had turned on the coffee maker for him. He made himself a cup and got himself ready for the game, before heading out the door.

Artie walked out onto the pitch with his broom slung over his shoulder. He was early, much too early, but he knew he probably wasn’t going to be playing in the game today and that made him restless. He mounted his broom and kicked off hard, soaring up into the air.

Artie felt himself relax as he flew through the goal hoops and down the pitch to the other hoops. He dived and soared and played up in the air, feeling his shoulder muscles stretch and contract, feeling the tightness and tension leave him.

He only slowed down when he glanced at the ground and saw someone waving up at him. He dived down and landed beside Oliver, he landed a little rougher than he wanted too, but was still bouncing on his feet.

“You looked good up there,” said Oliver, not even looking at Artie, but instead at the sky above them. “How you feel?”

“Great,” Artie told him, a little breathless. He felt energized and excited, even if he wasn’t playing today. “Can’t wait for next week.”

“I was going to ask if you wanted to play today,” said Oliver, dropping his gaze to look at Artie. Artie was a bit surprised, he was ready to play today, but had definitely expected to be benched the whole time.

“Really?” asked Artie, looking up at the sky, there were a few clouds, but nothing too bad. “You would want me to play?”

“I thought that if the game went a bit long, or if Milton made too many mistakes I would switch her out,” Oliver told him, and Artie looked at him. While he had come to respect Oliver throughout the years, it was always a shock when Oliver gave Artie the same respect. “Get you back into shape before the Kenmare game next weekend.”

“Now I wish I had my good luck charm here,” said Artie, wondering if he could call Molly before the game.

“Molly’s not here?” asked Oliver, and Artie could hear the shock in his voice. “Is she not coming around anymore?”

“Just this weekend,” Artie told him, as he checked his phone. His lock screen was a picture of him and Molly from Christmas, both of them in their Weasley sweaters curled up on the couch together. “Lucy and Devon don’t have much alone time from now until Baby L is born.”

“Is that what their calling the baby then?” asked Oliver, as they started towards the changing rooms.

“Yeah,” said Artie, slinging his broom over his shoulder again, “at least until the baby’s born.”

“Katie always wanted to know,” said Oliver, as he looked over at Artie, “she had no patience for finding out when they were born. Always said that it was easier to know than to not know.”

Artie nodded in agreement, he was honestly too curious, part of him was going mad not knowing if he was going to have a niece or a nephew.

“Get changed and be ready to go in at any time,” said Oliver as they stopped outside the changing room door, “you might get thrown in sooner than you think.”

~`~

Molly flipped on the radio she kept by the register and turned it to the Puddlemere vs. Wasps game. The shop was empty and quiet, as it had been since she opened. She had seen plenty of people pause outside the windows to look at the display, but none had come inside.

She walked up to windows, listening to the game as she waved her wand and broke down her displays. Molly walked around the store, looking through the clothes and accessories that had come in in the last few days. She began pulling shirts and leggings and jeans and cardigans, draping them over her arm. She had just walked back over to the register with all of her display clothes when Puddlemere scored the first goal.

By the time the first mannequin was completed, Puddlemere was up sixty to twenty, when the second one was done, they were up one hundred and ten to fifty. She had no idea how she ever listened to games on the radio before, when it was much harder to follow along. She had no idea who was scoring as the announcer only called, Wood, Wood, and Potter.

She picked up the radio as she headed to the windows, setting it down in the wide frame as she started to hang up little strings of red, pink, and white hearts. She took down the Christmas lights and went to the back room to get the twinkle lights from where she put them before she made her Christmas display.

“And it looks like Coach Wood is switching out the reserve Keeper Milton with Keeper Jacobs, who by reports have it is fully recovered from his injury last month during the Puddlemere/Harpies game,” reported the announcer from the radio.

Molly’s head snapped up and she looked at the radio, “Coach Wood must’ve felt that Puddlemere had enough of a lead to put his lead Keeper back in so quickly after recovering from that nasty injury-“

“Molly!”

Molly turned around to see Lucy standing in the doorway, holding her stomach as she rushed into the store room. “Molly, Maria’s gone into labor!”

Molly looked at her sister, her hair was half in curlers and the other was hanging loosely around her face. She was wearing a shirt that obviously once belonged to Devon, it was stretched tightly across her stomach, showing off her new outie belly button.

“Okay,” said Molly, picking up the radio and locking the front door before following after Lucy to the fireplace, “Lucy, it’ll be okay.”

“I’m next though, what if things go wrong and something happens to my baby?” asked Lucy, and Molly sighed at the high pitch of her sister’s voice.

“Let’s just go Lucy,” said Molly, as she threw in a pinch of floo powder. “Everything will be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you all!  
> ~Harry


	14. State of Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie help welcome Maria and Evan's daughter in the world after a close Quidditch match between Puddlemere and the Wasps. After they have dinner with Molly parents and things get a little heated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: non-graphic character injury

** Chapter Thirteen: State of Grace **

By Taylor Swift

_Love is a ruthless game_

_Unless you play it good and right_

Artie felt nervous as he slowly circled in front of the hoops, watching Micah, Mattie, and James pass the Quaffle to each other at a quicker pace than he had ever seen. They were ahead by seventy points, but would’ve been better if Milton hadn’t let in the last two goals. They had both been easy blocks, but she had fallen for the fake outs.

The Wasps weren’t a bad team, Artie had wanted to play for them more than Puddlemere when he got drafted, but Puddlemere had given him an offer he couldn’t pass up. The Wasps had wanted him to only be a reserve, but Molly had told him to go after the Puddlemere position, which worked out better for him.

He watched as the three Wasps Chasers came straight for him, and he snapped to attention, hovering in front of the left hoop. He had noticed that they seemed to favor that hoop when he had been watching from the bench.

Artie easily caught the Quaffle in his right hand, the shot had been quite obvious, and threw it to where Micah was waiting. He watched as Morrow from the Wasps started to trail after Mattie, Artie remembered playing with Alan Morrow while they were in school, he was good at sneaking up on other Chasers and stealing the Quaffle as it was passed.

Luckily, Micah passed the Quaffle to James, who shot down the pitch, away from Artie.

Now that he was in the air, he saw the Wasps Chasers defensive formation, they kept circling around whoever had the Quaffle, trying to steal it. They were so tightly wound around one another that Artie was sure that if they were hit with a Bludger, everyone would go down.

“That was a good catch, Artie,” said Evan as he hovered behind the hoops. “Shoulder must be feeling good then.”

“Don’t jinx me,” Artie told him, as he took a quick glance at Evan. He was looking down towards the ground, his eye’s moving quickly as he searched for the Snitch.

Artie turned back to the other side of the pitch as Evan suddenly flew pass him and dived towards the ground.

The whole stadium went quiet as the Wasps Seeker followed after Evan. The two of them circled around each other as they moved along the ground together, both of them with their arms out stretched.

Neither of them caught the Snitch as they began flying upward, breaking up the Chasers formations.

“Ah, damn,” muttered Artie, as James scored a goal, bringing them up to one hundred and thirty to fifty.

Evan wasn’t the best Seeker in the League, that honor went to Liam Walsh of the Kenmare Krestals, but he did come in a close second. He was one of the oldest Seekers in the League, at the very least the only one who hadn’t had an injury take him out for more than a game or two.

He blocked another goal from the Wasps Chasers, but kept his eyes on Evan as he passed the Quaffle to James. Evan was flying high above them, almost up in the clouds.

Artie hovered in the middle of the hoops, blocking goals whenever the Chasers made it down to him. He kept looking up, trying to spot Evan whenever he could. He liked watching the Seekers best whenever he was waiting for the Quaffle to make its way down to him.

“And Coach Oliver is calling a time out for Puddlemere, asking for all the players to come down to the pitch,” called out the announcer, Artie usually just tuned out the announcers, but hearing Oliver’s name brought his attention down to the ground. Oliver was standing over by their changing room, his arms crossed, but his face worried.

“Why did you call a time out?” yelled Mattie as Artie landed beside him, “I was just about to score again!”

“Evan,” said Oliver, ignoring his son to turn to his other son. “Maria went into labor an hour ago, your mother just found out about it.”

“She’s not due for another three weeks though,” said Evan, and Artie could head the panic in his voice. “I need to go.”

Oliver put a hand on his shoulder and stopped Evan as he was about to walk pass him. “I can put Louie in, but I would rather you just finish the game quickly.”

“Dad I have to go to Maria,” Evan told Oliver, pushing his hand off and shoving his broom into his father’s arms. “I don’t care enough about this game to miss my daughter being born.”

Oliver took his broom as Evan walked off the pitch, they could hear the crack of him apparating a moment later.

“Dad,” said Micah, leaning on his broom handle. “Should we call the game? Louie isn’t ready to play against O’Rhan yet.”

“That depends,” said Oliver, looking around at all of them, “do you want to forfeit, or do you want to finish the game?”

“I want to finish,” said James, as he rocked on his feet, “let’s bring home a win for Maria and the baby.”

“I agree,” said Carla, while Avery nodded next to her. “Let’s bring Evan’s daughter a win.”

“What about the rest of you, Jacobs, Micah, Mathew?” asked Oliver, and Artie glanced over at Micah and Mattie. It was odd to hear Mattie called by his first name and not his nickname.

“I kinda have to agree with Evan, dad,” said Mattie, crossing his arms over his chest. “I want to win, but I’d rather be there to see Marci when she’s born.”

“I have to agree dad, put in the Wents’ for us,” said Micah, as he grabbed Mattie’s arm and handed his broom off to Oliver, Mattie doing the same.

“Artie,” said Oliver, turning to him, looking odd with all three brooms in his arms. “What do you say?”

“Let’s win this for them,” said Artie, as he turned on his heel and headed back out to the pitch.

~`~

Molly pulled out Lucy’s hair curlers while Lucy put her make up on in the mirror. Luckily, Molly had grabbed a pair of leggings that she wanted to try on, which she gave to Lucy as she hadn’t been wearing any pants when she showed up to the shop.

“Of course she does this,” muttered Lucy under her breath as she fluffed her hair. “The one Saturday I get off in about three months and she goes into labor.”

“I hope you remember this when you have Baby L,” Molly told her as she straighten Lucy’s shirt collar. Lucy had been going on for the last ten minutes about how angry she was at Maria for going into labor.

“I know,” said Lucy, taking a deep breath. “It’s just not _fair_ , Molly.”

Molly honestly didn’t know what to tell her sister, she loved Lucy, but she must’ve known that Maria didn’t do this of purpose.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” said Lucy as she turned to Molly and crossed her arms over her baby bump. “Maria’s probably really upset, she was due in three weeks.”

“LeeAnne had all of her kids early and they’re fine,” Molly told her as she leaned against the wall. “Rose had Hermes early too, and I think Victoire had all of her kids early also.”

“Is that true?” asked Lucy, looking down at her stomach. “Didn’t mum have us early too?”

“I don’t know, probably,” said Molly, as she stepped forward and rubbed Lucy’s stomach. “I don’t think you really need to worry yet Lucy.”

“But we don’t have the nursery completely set up and we just started the breathing classes,” said Lucy as she held Molly’s hands on her stomach. “I’m starting to feel like Devon’s pulling away too and I’m scared that maybe we made a mistake. I wasn’t supposed to be pregnant before we decided to even try.”

“I know,” Molly told her, as the bathroom door opened behind them. “But Devon loves you and the baby and no matter what you’ll be fine.”

“Is this where you’ve been hiding Lucy?” drawled a voice behind them, and Molly turned to see Cara and Evelynn standing behind them. Molly felt her spine crawl at the sight of them, she had once liked Cara and Evelynn, until they started turning on Lucy for no reason.

“Couldn’t come see Maria before hiding in the bathroom?” asked Evelynn as she turned to her reflection in the mirror. “She is Devon’s sister after all.”

Molly held Lucy’s hands and pulled her out of the bathroom before she said something that she would regret. It wouldn’t be fair to Lucy if Molly got her in trouble with her sisters-in-law.

They walked down the hall to where Devon was sitting, along with Katie Wood who was on the phone with someone, pacing up and down the hallway as she talked. Molly sat down beside Lucy who sat beside Devon, taking his hand in hers and relaxing.

“They’ve switched out Evan, Micah, and Mattie,” reported Devon, holding the little radio that Molly had brought with her. “They must be on their way.”

Molly sighed and took the radio from Devon, the one time she didn’t go to a game, this happened. She liked Elizabeth and Jacob Wents the few times she had met them, and Kyle Louie who was a little green, but a good Seeker.

She pressed the radio to her ear and listened as Artie saved another goal. He wasn’t supposed to be subbed in, but _of course_ Oliver had to put him in when Elouise Milton let in five goals.

“Ollie this is your first niece being born, you’ll get over it,” said Mattie as he walked in with Micah and Ollie Jay following behind him. “It’s not as if you’ve never seen a game before.”

“I wouldn’t have left the game,” said Ollie as he followed behind his older brothers. “James didn’t leave the team.”

“Because James will be here the second the game is over,” said Katie as she walked behind them, her son Jason on her hip. “That and he knows that we only have two reserve Chasers, Ollie.”

Ollie sighed dramatically as he slumped down in a chair while Katie handed him his nephew, before disappearing into Maria’s room. Mattie and Micah both sat down, neither of them in their game kits, unlike Evan who arrived in his.

“And the score is two hundred to sixty, Jacobs letting in his first goal of the game,” called out the announcer on the other side of Molly’s radio. “Jacobs then throws the Quaffle to Potter who runs it down the pitch…”

“Put on the Harpies game, I want to know where Alexandra and Ashleigh are,” said Katie Wood, as she stopped her pacing in front of Molly. “Their bloody manager won’t tell me anything.”

“Are you still on the phone with them?” asked Mattie as Ollie handed him Jason. “Get Katie to talk to them, she’s been dealing with them the last three weeks over Artie’s injury.”

Katie Wood rolled her eyes, as she pulled her phone away from her ear.

“Its fine,” she said as she put her phone away. “The game just ended anyways. I swear I have no clue what is wrong with these managers, how hard is it to answer a damn question?”

“Puddlemere scores again as the Wasps Seeker O’Rhan dives between the Chasers to chase after the Snitch!” yelled the announcer from Molly’s radio. “Puddlemere reserve Seeker Louie is hot on his trail!”

All of the Wood children snapped their heads up at the announcement. Molly clutched the radio tightly as the announcer kept up the excitement.

Puddlemere was going to lose.

“Take this,” Molly told Lucy, pushing the radio into her sister’s hands, before jumping to her feet.

“Where are you going?” called Lucy, but Molly was already running through the double doors at the end of the hallway. She knew St. Mungo’s inside and out, knew every entrance and exit on every floor.

She ran through the double doors, and turned right at the first fork in her path, before running pass the nursery room. She gave a quick glance at the pink and blue blankets, before continuing on, making a left at the next corner.

“Oi!” yelled a Junior Healer as she ran passed them, “no running!”

She ignored him, coming to her destination and pushing open the emergency exit door.

The second she was outside, she apparated.

~`~

Artie watched as Louie and O’Rhan both stretched out their arms, reaching for the Snitch inches in front of them. The whole stadium went quiet as everyone watched, even the Chasers had calmed down and Artie could see Elizabeth hovering in the air with the Quaffle in her hands.

“Come on, Kyle,” Artie muttered under his breath as he clutched his broom handle with both hands. He could feel his hands going numb, his knuckles turning white under the strain. “You got this.”

Usually, they only let the reserves play when someone got injured or when they were playing a weaker team. Kyle always played when they played against the Cannons, he was the youngest on the team, having been drafted a year ago.

Artie watched as Kyle inched forward in front of O’Rhan. He leaned forward on his broom, holding his breath as Kyle was thrown off his broom as a Bludger hit him.

The whole crowd screamed in shock and Artie saw the Quaffle fall down to the ground as they all flew down to Kyle. He was holding his arm and moaning as Artie landed on the ground and ran towards him.

Artie liked Kyle, he was a good kid, funny and nice and kind to everyone. He didn’t deserve to be taken out by a rouge Bludger.

“Ahh,” groaned Kyle as Artie went to his side. O’Rhan was on Kyle’s other side, cradling his head in his hands. They all knew what it felt like to get hit by a surprise Bludger. “Ughhh, my arm.”

“It’s broken,” said O’Rhan in a much deeper voice than Artie expected. “They’ll get you healed up quickly and you’ll be back in the air.”

“Artie,” said Kyle and Artie dropped down to his knees as he heard the Chasers land around them. He felt James’ hand on his shoulder as Kyle held his hand out to Artie. “Take this to Evan.”

Artie held out his hands as Kyle dropped the Snitch into them.

They had won, they had won the game.

Artie could hear James laughing in his ear as Kyle passed out from the pain. But Artie couldn’t bring himself to even smile, the fact that Kyle got injured and had still won them the game as half of their team abandoned them, it was better than anything he had done. He had let his team down when they needed him three weeks ago, and they had lost.

“I have just been informed that the Puddlemere Seeker, Kyle Louie, has captured the Golden Snitch! Puddlemere wins! The final scores are three hundred and seventy to sixty!” called out the announcer as the Mediwizards finally came over to them.

Artie stood up as Olivia pushed her way in around the teams, giving her the room that she needed. He opened his hand and looked at the tiny gold Snitch that Kyle put there.

He never wanted to be a Seeker, despite being told that he had the build for it. He was thin with long arms and a smaller frame, not that the one person he cared for seemed to mind. Molly fit next to him perfectly, and he was happy with that.

Artie walked away from the team, who crowded in closer to Kyle, even though Olivia would get pissed at them. He kept walking pass the changing rooms, his broom on his shoulder, and out to the entrance of the Wasps stadium.

He didn’t know how he would tell Molly that he wasn’t going to make it to dinner tonight.

“Arthur Daniel Jacobs!” yelled Molly, surprising Artie enough to drop his broom. “You told me that you weren’t playing today!”

Artie stared at her as she walked up to him, waving her arms and screaming. Her words passed over him, but he just took the step forward so they were next to each other. He put his hands on her face and pulled her mouth to his, kissing her.

He hoped that she understood everything that he was telling her in that kiss, his love, his fear, his want for her. He held her face even after they broke apart and he fell to his knees in front of her.

“I’m sorry,” he croaked, feeling the tears on his cheeks. “I should’ve told you.”

“Oh Artie,” she said softly, wiping the tears from his eyes, off his cheeks. “It’s okay.”

“Kyle risked everything to get the Snitch,” Artie told her, feeling another wave of emotion hit him. “He fell off his broom and broke his arm to win for us, he could’ve avoided the Bludger, let it hit O’Rhan-“

“Artie he’ll be fine,” said Molly, pulling him to his feet. “You’ll be fine Baby.”

Artie tucked his face into her hair and wrapped his arms tight around her. “It was a twenty foot drop Molly.”

He couldn’t see her face, but she felt him rub his back softly as she held him. Artie really didn’t know why he was as upset as he was, maybe because his own injury was so fresh in his mind.

Maybe because he knew what it was like to fall off a broom in the middle of a game with no one to catch him.

“Come on, Babe,” said Molly, pulling away from him, “let’s get to St. Mungo’s.”

Artie wiped at his face then put his hands in his pocket, finding the Snitch still there. He let Molly lead him back to his broom, then to the changing rooms, where he put on his clothes with the rest of the team.

Molly sat on one of the benches and waited for him as everyone sang their high praises for Kyle, Elizabeth, and Jacob. He felt as if everyone had done well, but they could’ve avoided the injuries.

“Elouise,” said Artie, from his locker beside hers. “You did well filing in for me these last few weeks.”

“Thanks Artie,” said Elouise looking anywhere except for at him. “That’s what Coach Oliver told me too.”

Artie smiled, even though he knew it probably didn’t look sincere. “You deserve it Elouise, next time we all go out, your first drink is on me.”

Elouise smiled at him, “I’ll hold you to it next weekend in Kenmare.”

Artie smiled for real this time and pulled his shirt and jacket on, before grabbing Molly and walking out of the changing room.

~`~

Molly followed in behind Artie as they walked into her parent’s house. She could smell her mother’s stuffed cabbage rolls from the foyer as they walked farther into the room. She had missed lunch to go to St. Mungo’s with Lucy that morning, and had forgotten completely in the excitement of the match to eat in the hours spent waiting for Marci to be born.

Marci was a beautiful baby and the first Wood and Jordan granddaughter. She looked just like Maria, but with Evan’s blue eyes.

Molly had held her, while Artie had given Evan the Snitch that Kyle had entrusted to him. She hadn’t asked when he pulled it out of his pocket back at the Quidditch pitch, but she had asked once they were sitting outside Maria’s room waiting for the baby.

Lucy had become such a bundle of nerves that she paced for at least an hour until her back hurt and she was forced to sit down. Molly held her hand and talked to her about the baby shower until she fell asleep on Devon’s shoulder.

“It smells good in here,” said Artie, turning to smile at her as they walked into the kitchen. Molly smiled pass him at the sight of her parents, her father sitting on the counter, while her mother was opening a bottle of wine.

“We were beginning to wonder if the two of you forgot about us,” said Percy as he jumped off the counter and stepped forward to hug Molly. She hugged her father tightly as he kissed her forehead, before letting go of her and shaking Artie’s hand.

“Maria and Evan Wood had their daughter today right after the game,” said Artie as he wrapped his arm around Molly’s waist. “It was quite the event.”

“Having a baby always is,” said Audrey as she started handing out glasses of wine to everyone. “Now let’s eat before Percy drops over.”

Molly giggled, even though she had to agree with her father who led them to the table. She sat down next to Artie and across from her father and mother. She took a sip of her wine and let her mother dole out food for her like when she was a kid.

She dug in quickly, so hungry from the long day. She was going to have to stop into the shop to do the proper lock up before she went home, happy that at least she had remembered to text Sasha Thomas, who owned the salon right down the street from them, to keep an eye on the shop.

Molly had sent Lucy and Devon out to their dinner reservation after they had gone in to see baby Marci. Though honestly, Molly hadn’t wanted Lucy to be with any of Devon’s sisters without her for too long.

“How did the game go?” asked Percy, between bites of his food.

“We won,” said Artie, and Molly felt Artie’s hand on her knee. It was more to calm himself down than anything. “But our reserve Seeker Kyle got injured pretty bad.”

Molly watched as her parents shared a look with each other, sure that they were thinking the same thing as they often did. She knew that they had been worried about Artie and his injury, worried about how it had affected her and Artie’s relationship.

“Were you sitting out again?” asked Audrey, as Molly looked back down at her plate.

“At first, but they switched me in after Elouise let in five goals,” explained Artie, his hand now squeezing her knee harder than she was sure he meant to. She put her hand over his and pulled it off, giving him a look that was harder than she wanted.

Artie glanced at her, apologetic, before continuing on, “Oliver just wanted me to get back into it before we played against Kenmare next weekend.”

“Oh that reminds me,” said Audrey, jumping out of her seat. Molly giggled to herself as her mother left the room and her father rolled her eyes. “Molly! You’re Uncles Rory and Liam wanted me to let you both know that you can stay with them if you don’t want to stay with the team all weekend. They set up the guest room for the two of you.”

Audrey sat back down in her seat, a letter in her hand, “Liam is so excited to meet you Artie, I don’t think he met you before.”

“Mum,” said Molly, hoping to calm down her mother, “I’ve already talked to Uncle Rory, we’re staying with him and Uncle Liam Friday night, and with the team Saturday night because we’re going on a pub crawl after the game. Then we’re having breakfast with them before we come home Sunday.”

“Oh good, though I do have apologize already Artie,” said Audrey as she turned to Artie, and Molly rolled her eyes. “My brother Rory is a big fan of the Krestals so he’ll probably be rooting against you.”

“It’s no problem,” said Artie looking up from his plate at the sound of his name. “I’m used to being booed at away games.”

Molly giggled to herself, when they were in Holyhead, the Puddlemere fans had come out in full colors, but Kenmare was a lot farther away than Holyhead. Molly reached over and squeezed Artie’s hand before pulling back quickly, but he turned and smiled at her.

She tucked her foot around his ankle under the table, as his hand went back to her knee.

“How has the shop been Molly?” asked Percy and Molly was thankful for the change in conversation.

“So slow, but it worked out well today as I had to take Lucy to St. Mungo’s,” Molly told her parents, before quickly realizing what it sounded like. “To see Maria that is.”

“I can’t wait for her to have this baby,” said Audrey into her plate. “As excited as I am to be a grandmother, your sister is driving me crazy.”

“Not the only one,” agreed Artie, and Molly sent him another pointed look. “I think Devon is ready for Lucy to have the baby also.”

“They’re on a date tonight,” Molly told her mother, “hopefully they can talk and calm down and get themselves pulled together. Lucy was freaking out a little bit about Maria going into labor early, but as I told her, she’ll be fine.”

“They came over for dinner the other night,” said Percy, setting his silverware down beside his plate. “And Lucy broke down in the middle of it.”

“She’s just worried,” Molly told them, because she knew Lucy better than anyone. “It doesn’t help that her hormones are working against her.”

“Have you set the date for her baby shower?” asked Audrey, as Molly reached forward and spooned another cabbage roll onto her plate. “Because I was actually thinking that it would be nice to have here, out in the garden.”

“Will everyone fit?” asked Molly, already thinking about how big their family was, and the fact that Devon wanted some of his friends to come. “Because Nana Molly already said that she wouldn’t mind having it at the Burrow.”

“It shouldn’t be too many,” said Audrey, as she started to count on her fingers. “I mean all your aunts; your grandmother; one, two, three…seven of your cousins at least; and Devon’s three sisters and Alicia; I think we’ll have plenty of room.”

“Well mum,” said Molly gently, hoping not to offend her, “Lucy and Devon wanted to have co-ed baby shower, with everyone there.”

“Everyone? That’s ridiculous Molly,” said Audrey throwing her hands up. Molly wanted to giggle, her mother didn’t often lose her cool; she usually stayed calm and composed. “I guess the Burrow will be fine then.”

“I tried to sway her away, but they’ve been pretty insistent on it,” Molly told her mother, hoping that she wouldn’t get upset with her. “I was thinking mid-March, on a Sunday as everyone will be free then.”

“Alright then,” said Audrey, though she still sounded disappointed to Molly. “Let me know if you want any help though, or I’m sure Becca or Astoria will help if you need any.”

Molly felt Artie’s eyes on her at the mention of her Aunt Astoria, she was still embarrassed by how her aunt and uncle had treated Artie all those months ago.

“Thanks mum, but I think I have it,” Molly told her, before Audrey stood up and started clearing the table.

“Come help me serve dessert,” whispered Audrey, as she took Molly’s unfinished plate.

Molly sighed, and followed after her mother, taking her plate back once they were both in the kitchen.

“I had lunch with your Aunt Astoria just before Christmas Molly,” said Audrey as she put the crumble Molly knew she made earlier into the oven. “She told me about the lunch you had with her and Draco and Artie.”

“Did she tell you that she called Artie a golddigging mudblood? Or did she conveniently leave it out?” asked Molly as she put her finished plate into the sink.

“Molly Abigail Weasley,” said Audrey angrily, and Molly knew she had crossed the line. “You know for a fact that is not what they said.”

“No,” agreed Molly as she climbed up onto the counter, just as her father always did in the kitchen. “They used more words than that.”

“I want you to apologize to your aunt and uncle, Molly,” Audrey told her as she grabbed the ice cream out of the freezer. “You know that they care about you and don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

“Mum,” said Molly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was the one who hurt him, and I have been working very hard to keep us together. I am not apologizing to them until they apologize to Artie.”

Audrey sighed as Molly held herself taller than her mother, she was already a few inches taller, but she rarely ever felt taller. But her mother wasn’t one to fight, she usually said her piece and that was it, no argument from there.

“Molly,” said Audrey and Molly could hear how tired her mother sounded. She knew between her relationship with Artie and Lucy’s pregnancy, along with her father, he mother felt stretched thin. She was carrying a lot of stress as she always did, and Molly could see the gray that had started to streak Audrey’s hair. “Please just do this for me?”

Molly uncrossed her arms and jumped off the counter, before taking the few steps forward to hug her mum. “Okay,” agreed Molly, hugging her mother as she always did for her, wrapping her arms around her tight. “I will apologize, but I’m not happy about it.”

“I know, but I need you to do this for me,” said Audrey as she pulled away and looked up at Molly. “I would do the same for you.”

“I know, mummy,” Molly mumbled, as Audrey turned to pull the crumble out of the oven.

~`~

“Is everything okay Artie?” asked Percy as Audrey and Molly headed off into the kitchen, Artie looked up from the spot on the table he had been staring at. “You seem distracted tonight.”

Artie looked up at Percy, he was a few inches taller than him and always looked so serious with his glasses on. Artie often felt like he was being x-rayed under Percy’s gaze.

“I’ve just had a long day,” Artie told him, as he looked back down at the table. “Between the game and baby Marci, I’m exhausted.”

“You seemed upset about your friend too,” said Percy, putting his hands in front of him on the table. “He should recover quickly, correct?”

“Yeah,” said Artie, nodding his head. After eating, he really was feeling tired, really was ready to just crawl into bed and sleep until Monday.

“Why don’t the two of you stay here for the night?” offered Percy, with a smile. “We have the room and I would rather not have the two of you apparating while you’re this tired.”

“That’s okay,” Artie told him, as he reached for his wine glass. “We can take the floo and I think Molly said something about stopping in at the shop to lock up.”

Percy stopped playing with his wedding ring, and looked straight at Artie. “Who is at their shop right now?”

“I don’t know, Molly didn’t say,” Artie told him, as behind them walked in Molly and Audrey, both looking slightly disgruntled.

“Here Babe,” whispered Molly as she set a bowl down in front of Artie before sitting down beside him.

“Molly,” said Percy and Artie put his hand on her knee under the table, hoping to keep her calm. “Who is looking after the shop?”

“No one, but I put up the security spells and asked Sasha to watch the door for me,” said Molly, while Percy bit his lip.

Artie stared at him, he was always a little unnerved whenever he saw one of Molly’s parents do the same things that Molly always did. It was always a bit uncanny, just like when Molly and Lucy said the same thing at the same time.

“If you need to check on the shop real quick you can,” said Audrey, and Artie heard Molly sigh as he tucked into the crumble and ice cream she gave him.

“Its fine,” said Molly, not even touching her food. “I would know if my spells failed. I’ve only been casting them for the last two years.”

“Molly,” said Percy in a tone that Artie was familiar with, annoyed. “I don’t need the attitude, it would be horrible if your inventory got stolen or damaged.”

“I trust that Sasha won’t let anything happen to the shop, and I know that Uncle George is working late and will see if anything has happened across the street,” said Molly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t understand why you won’t let this be.”

“Because I’ve seen how hard you and your sister have worked to make that shop something special, and I don’t want to see that disappear in puff of smoke,” said Percy, standing up from his seat.

“Oh don’t even start!” yelled Molly as she mimicked her father, by standing up in her seat. “The only reason why you’re upset is because I didn’t ask you to take over! And because we didn’t ask you to help back the shop and instead went to Uncle George and Oliver! You’ve been upset about the shop since!”

“Molly Abigail Weasley!” yelled Percy and Artie stood up, quickly putting his hand on Molly’s arm to keep her from running away. “You know that is not true!”

“Well you haven’t cared about our business since!” yelled Molly as she pushed Artie’s hand away and turned away from her parents, from him. “And if you think we haven’t noticed, well we have! It’s been great knowing that our parents don’t care about our shop!”

“That’s not true Molly,” said Audrey, and Artie saw that she got to her feet also. “We’re very proud of you and Lucy. We never thought that we would be able to see you go this far.”

Molly turned back around, and looked at her parents with tears in her eyes. “Just because you’ve been ready for me to die since I was three, doesn’t mean that I’m going to anytime soon.”

“It’s not like that Molly,” said Percy and Molly let out a small sob as she avoided their eyes.

“Then _what_ is it like, dad? Mum?” asked Molly, as she let Artie take her hand. He held on to her tightly as if she was going to run away if they said the wrong thing. “Because I went to school, I graduated, I opened the shop with Lucy! I even got married! Not that you seemed to even care!”

“We lost your brother, Molly,” said Percy, sounding defeated. “We almost lost you more than we can count, and we would’ve lost Lucy too if that happened. Being able to watch you and Lucy grow and change and live your lives has been wonderful Molly. Artie has also been a great addition to the family.”

Artie looked at Percy, sure that he was pulling his broom. Molly’s parents had been nicer to him in the last few weeks, ever since he invited them over for dinner, but this was something else.

“Well maybe you should’ve let us know,” said Molly, as she wiped at her eyes with her free hand. “Artie and I are really happy, and we could definitely use the support, especially with how the last few weeks have been.”

Artie looked over at Molly, he knew that his shoulder injury had put a bit of a wall between them, but he hadn’t thought that it was that bad.

Percy rubbed a hand over his own face as he sat back down in his seat, while Artie felt Molly squeeze his hand. He looked over at her as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Okay,” said Audrey, as she shared a look with her husband. “Artie, we’re sorry that we haven’t invited you into the family properly, but you must understand how much of a shock it has been for us.”

“Us too,” Artie told her without thinking, “though if you had told me five years ago that I was married to Molly, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.”

“We started dating five years ago,” said Molly, turning to look at him. “Did you not want to get married then?”

“I honestly thought that you were going to _dump_ me when you got better,” Artie told her, suddenly worried that she was upset with him.

“I thought that _you_ were going to break up with me when I got better,” said Molly, with a smile. “Merlin were we stupid then.”

Artie smiled at her, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, but was suddenly aware that her parents were in the room with them.

“Neither of you are stupid,” said Audrey, as she waved her wand and all of their bowls went to the kitchen. “But Molly, please go and lock up your shop.”

“Yes, mum,” said Molly smiling to her mother, but Artie saw the light in her eyes dim as she did so.

“Come on,” said Molly as she pulled on Artie’s arm, “let’s go home.”

Artie wrapped his arm around her waist the second they were out of her parent’s sight, and pushed her up against the wall once they were in the foyer.

“You know that I love you, right?” he whispered, before pressing a kiss to her neck.

“Yes,” said Molly, as she pulled his mouth to hers.

Artie kissed her back, until he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. He pulled away quickly, and looked around, not seeing which one of Molly’s parents who had broke them off. Instead, he put his shoes on and followed Molly out the front door.


	15. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie head to Ireland for the Puddlemere/Kenmare game, where they get to spend time with Molly’s uncles and Artie gets some surprising news.

** Chapter Fourteen: Dreams **

By Fleetwood Mac

_In the stillness of remembering what you had,_

_And what you loss_

Molly sat on the couch, waiting for Artie to get home from practice. Lucy was doing her a big favor by closing the shop for her, then letting her get away for the weekend. She still owed her for her disastrous Saturday off last weekend.

She sighed as the time went on, laying down on the couch and resting her head on the throw pillows that Lucy gave her for Christmas. She liked that they were yellow and fluffy, but they were just too big for her and Artie’s couch.

She flicked her wand and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels with a flick of her wand. She was bored, having already packed their bags last night before bed. It was Valentine’s Day on Sunday, but she had a plan for Saturday night, as she was sure they were going to be too hungover on Sunday to enjoy the day.

“Molly!” called Artie, waking up Molly from where she fell asleep on the couch. “Are you home?”

Molly rubbed at her eyes as she looked over the couch, Artie was standing in the hallway in his jacket with his hair cut short.

“Where were you?” asked Molly sleepily as he walked into the living room and sat down beside her on the couch.

“I got a haircut,” said Artie, running his hand through his hair. “It was getting in my eyes during practice.”

Molly reached forward and touched his hair, it was shorter, with the sides shaved off. He kept a good amount of length on the top, but it was much tidier. He smiled as Molly ran her fingers through his hair, feeling how soft it felt.

“You look good, Babe,” she told him, before she leaned forward and kissed his temple. “I like it.”

“Thank you,” said Artie, as he wrapped his arms around her waist “I thought that you would like this.”

“I do,” said Molly as she rubbed her hands over the buzzed sides of his head. It was both spiky against her fingers and soft at the same time. “I think you look very handsome.”

She felt him press his face against her neck, and his lips against her shoulder. She giggled as his lips moved up her neck and jaw until he was kissing her mouth. She had no idea how long they snogged on the couch, both of them wrapped up in the other, but she felt breathless as they finally pulled away from each other.

“Shouldn’t we get going?” asked Artie as he pulled away from her. Molly wrapped her arms around his neck from where she laid on the couch, holding him close.

“Probably,” she told him, as she laced her fingers together. “But you might want to wash my lipstick off your face and neck.”

Molly giggled as he scrambled off of her and went to the bathroom, her giggles turning into laughter as she heard the water turn on.

“Just use one of my makeup wipes Babe!” Molly yelled from the couch as she sat back up. “Don’t scrub at it!”

She got up off the couch and walked to the bathroom, to see Artie wiping his face off with one of her makeup wipes, just like she told him to do. “Am I doing this right?” he asked, and she smiled at him as she took the wipe from him.

“You missed a spot,” she told him as she wiped off her lipstick mark from his neck. “Though I do have to say, this red does go well with your skin tone.”

“Should we get going?” asked Artie as he leaned against the bathroom counter. “Or are we leaving your uncles hanging?”

“Yes,” said Molly, with a sigh, “let’s get going.”

She led the way out of the bathroom and to their packed suitcases by the front door. Molly locked the door as they left while Artie carried both of their bags as they left the building. She laced her fingers through his as they walked to the alley beside their building, the pair of them apparating together.

Molly smiled and took her bag from Artie as they arrived outside her Uncles Rory and Liam’s home. She loved the little house that her uncles owned, it was the same one that her mother and uncles grew up in with their parents.

“Don’t worry, they’ll love you,” Molly told Artie as she knocked on the door. “I promise.”

“Please let them like me,” he whispered as the door opened in front of them.

“Molly!” called her Uncle Liam as he took a step back, pulling the door open wider with one hand while he balanced on his crutches. Molly stepped inside with Artie following after her, letting him close the door for Uncle Liam. “And you must be Artie? We’ve heard so much about you.”

Molly smiled as her Uncle Liam led them into the kitchen, the pride and joy of her uncles’ home. Her Uncle Rory stood in front of the stove, stirring a large pot that smelled delicious to Molly.

“Uncle Rory,” said Molly, as she hugged him tightly, letting him pick her up and twirl her around, like she was a little kid again.

“Molly! It’s been so long my little Honeypot,” said Rory as he set her back down on her feet. “How have you been?”

Molly smiled. “I’ve been well Uncle Rory,” she told him, as she took a step back, “this is Artie, my husband.”

She reached her hand back and felt Artie lace his fingers through hers, taking the step forward to wrap his arm around her waist. She was surprised that he was showing her this much affection, usually he kept it toned down whenever they were around her family, other than Lucy and Devon, and James for whatever reason.

“We’ve met before Molly,” said Rory as he shook Artie’s hand. “Though I wouldn’t be surprise if you’ve forgotten.”

Molly felt herself blush as Artie laughed beside her, wrapping his arms tighter around her and pulling her closer. She looked up at him, feeling the color in her face calm down as he kissed her cheek.

“Well if the two of you are hungry, the stew is ready and we have plenty of bread,” said Rory, as he started to grab bowls out of one of the cupboards and spoons out of a drawer. “And we have plenty to drink, wine, beer, water.”

“I’m starving,” said Artie, as he took a bowl from Rory and pulled away from Molly to serve himself. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

Molly rolled her eyes as she took a bowl from her uncle and served herself, before leading Artie into the dining room where her Uncle Liam was already sitting.

Molly adored her Uncle Liam, she had since she was a little girl and her Uncle Rory had taken her to the stationary shop that he owned. Liam was the only competent manager that Rory had managed to hire, he showed up on time, he put away the orders correctly, he opened and closed the shop how Rory liked it, and all of the other employees and all of the customers loved him.

But then Liam had come back after close one night to get the jacket he left behind and saw Rory using magic to fulfil an order. Liam had been so shocked that he backup into a cabinet that fell on him and shattered both of his knees under the weight to the point that he couldn’t walk without support.

He had already tried to resign, because of his growing feelings for Rory, then again after the accident. But now that Liam knew Rory’s secret, there was very little to keep them apart.

After they became a couple, they just had to wait for the legislation to catch up with them.

Rory walked into the dining room, two bowls in his hands and a bottle of wine and four wine glasses following him. He set one of the bowls down in front of Liam, while the wine poured itself and the glasses set themselves down in front of each of them.

“Thank you,” said Liam as Rory bent down and kissed his cheek, before sitting down beside his husband.

“Of course Love,” said Rory, before he started digging into his stew.

“This is just like your mum’s,” Artie told Molly, as she handed him a large chunk of buttered bread. “Should get the recipe.”

“It’s a Phillips family recipe,” Rory told him, as he accepted a piece of bread from Molly. “Passed down from our great-great-grandmother.”

“Well it’s still good a hundred years later,” said Artie, with a large smile.

Molly smiled, she had no idea why she had been so nervous about Artie meeting her uncles. She knew when the worry first set in that she was being ridiculous, but with how the rest of her family acted towards Artie, she couldn’t stop herself.

“About a hundred and fifty-ish,” said Liam, returning Artie’s smile. “But trust me when I say it’ll be easier to get the recipes from Audrey than Rory. He just goes by look more than anything.”

“What can I say?” said Rory, as he put a hand over his heart. “I did the nice thing and gave Rey all of mama’s old recipes.”

“Rey?” asked Artie, looking confused. “I thought your other uncle was name Lucas?”

“I’ve been calling Audrey, Rey, since I could talk,” explained Rory, as he grabbed himself another piece of bread. “It’s a bit of a family nickname.”

“Oh,” said Artie and Molly watched as his neck and ears turned red. “I probably should’ve figured that.”

“Nah,” said Rory, shaking his head. “No one else calls her that other than me, she probably wouldn’t even look up if someone else said that.”

Artie nodded and Molly put her hand on his knee, smiling at him when he glanced over at her. She squeezed his leg softly before pulling her hand away, only to feel him put his hand on her thigh.

“So what time is this game tomorrow?” asked Liam before taking another bite of his bread.

“Eleven,” answered Molly, turning to look at her uncles. “Artie needs to be at the pitch around ten, but we can head over there at ten-thirty. I already talked to Oliver and it turns out that there’s an elevator in the pitch.”

Liam nodded, and Molly felt her shoulders relax. She had been worried about how well her Uncle Liam would be able to move around and get up and down the stairs.

But the Krestals had a brand new stadium with better access than any of the other pitches in the League.

“Who’s Oliver again?” asked Rory as he looked at Molly, “one of your father’s friends or brothers?”

“One of my godfathers,” Molly told him, even though she was sure that her uncle actually knew, “and Artie’s coach, who told me to not buy tickets and to come sit in the coach’s box.”

“He’s the fit one,” said Liam with a smile and a wink to Molly, “right Molly?”

“Uncle Liam, we’re both married, and Oliver is one of my dad’s best friends,” Molly told him as she felt herself blush again.

“Doesn’t stop him from being fit Molly,” said Rory and in response Liam and Artie started laughing while Molly blushed harder.

“It’s not funny,” she told all three of them as they laughed.

“It is just a little bit Angel,” Artie whispered in her ear as he leaned over to push her hair out of her face.

~`~

Artie smiled as he sipped from his third glass of wine, Molly was tucked into his side, a bit tipsy and very giggly as she always got when she was starting to get drunk. Her Uncles Rory and Liam were a lot more than he remembered them, but that could also be because they felt more comfortable in their own home.

After dinner, Liam led them into the living room while Rory took care of dinner. Artie couldn’t remember what had happened to Liam, but he felt like he couldn’t ask him, but he could ask Molly later.

“Oh Molly,” said Liam as he grabbed a small book off of the coffee table, “this is for you and Lucy. I meant to send it at Christmas but it got mixed up with a few other things and I just found it again last week.”

Artie reached forward and took the small book from Liam for Molly, before handing it to her. He sat back into the cushions and looked over her shoulder as she opened the book. It was a photo album, which had pictures of Molly and Lucy as little kids.

Some of the pictures were magical and the people in it moved, while others stayed still. Artie couldn’t help but smile at Molly as a little girl, even if she looked more like when he first met her, than now.

Quite a few of the pictures were of Molly and Lucy playing together in a St. Mungo’s room, but most of them had either Rory or Liam with them. Liam sitting on the floor playing cards with Molly, or chess with Lucy, or both. Rory with the girls on his back or in his arms or most memorably with all three of them up on a broom.

There were a few pictures of them older, standing on the Hogwarts grounds when they were sixteen. Artie could recognize the photo easily, it was hanging up in their living room back home right now.

On the last page, was a picture of Rory and Liam each holding one of the girls, who couldn’t be older than two or three, both of them with a full head of bright red hair. They were both standing with the girls in their arms in front of a sign that said ‘Phillips Stationary’.

“Is this the only picture you have with us before the accident?” asked Molly as she showed him the last photo.

“I think so actually,” said Liam as he walked over to one of the bookcases on the wall. He pulled down what Artie was going to guess was another photo album, before he sat back down in his seat. Artie had to admit, Liam was a lot more agile than Artie thought he would be on crutches, and he moved a lot faster than Artie imagined.

Probably because he was used to it, from what Artie could understand, Liam had been on crutches for at least sixteen or seventeen years, since before Molly had first been sick. He sat down beside Molly on the other side of the couch, and opened the photo album in his hand.

“Let’s see,” said Liam as he flipped through the pages. “Some of these got a bit mixed up when Rory and I moved in together, not that he kept things very organized before.”

“What did I do wrong?” asked Rory as he walked into the living room, another bottle of wine in his hand.

“We’re trying to find a photo of me with the girls before my knees were shattered,” said Liam offhandedly, still flipping through the album.

“I don’t think there are any,” said Rory as he grabbed another photo album off the book shelf. “Other than the one you wanted to give them.”

“You might be right,” said Liam as he closed his photo album. “I don’t think I even met them until they were two.”

“I usually went to Rey’s if I wanted to see them,” said Rory, as he flipped through the pages of his own album. “They were quite a handful when they were little, even for Percy and Audrey.”

“If you ask them, they’ll say nothing’s changed,” said Artie, winking at Molly who rolled her eyes at him.

“As if they’re not more excited to be grandparents than Lucy and Devon are to be parents,” said Rory with a wave of his wand, sending his and Liam’s photo album back to their spots on the book shelf.

“I just can’t wait for Lucy’s hormones to even back out,” said Molly as she climbed up into Artie’s lap. Artie rested his head on her shoulder as she picked up both of their wine glasses, handing him his. “I really want to be an auntie, but the process is driving me crazy.”

“It is quite magical the first time you get to hold them,” said Rory, before he took a sip of his wine. “It was probably one of the best days of my life the day that you and Lucy were born.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Molly, as Artie wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. “She was been driving me up the wall.”

“I’m sure that your mother was worse,” said Liam, with a smile, “just by the stories that your father has told us.”

“Audrey did go insane at the beginning,” said Rory, rubbing his chin as he remembered. “She was flooing me every few days with questions about her body, and I had no answers for her. I am an Emergency Room Healer, I know nothing about babies, other than how to deliver one _in_ an emergency. But she got a lot better when she found out that there were two babies instead of one.”

“How does that make sense?” asked Artie, as Molly finished off her fourth glass of wine. Artie watched her as she reached forward in his arms for the wine bottle, almost falling off of his lap.

“She was getting bigger than the first time,” said Rory, waving off the bottle of wine. “When she was pregnant the first time, she never got that big. But with the two of them, it was different, as Ernie always says, ‘every pregnancy is different’.”

“Oh thank the queen that we never had children,” said Liam, as he patted Molly’s foot. “I don’t think we could’ve handled it.”

“Don’t say that,” said Molly, as she climbed out of Artie’s lap, her wine glass sloshing as she moved. “I think you’re both great uncles and would’ve been great parents. I’m sure if I hadn’t been sick mum would’ve surrogated for you.”

She tucked herself into Liam’s side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her to him. Artie looked at her slightly unfocused eyes and knew that she was going to fall asleep quickly if she kept drinking.

“It took almost ten years for us to get legally married Molly, I don’t think having children would’ve been much easier,” said Rory, but it was already too late, Molly had fallen asleep, her wine glass about to fall out of her hand.

“I should get her to bed,” said Artie, as he carefully took Molly’s glass from her hand and set it on the coffee table. She had drank almost a whole bottle of wine just by herself, not that this wasn’t the first time he had seen her do this.

“We should probably all get to sleep,” said Rory as he waved his wand and all of the wine bottles and glasses went to the kitchen. “We have an early morning tomorrow.”

“Out the door by ten-thirty is not early Rory,” said Liam as Artie picked up Molly in his arms, cuddling her against his chest. She curled up in his arms, pressing her face against his chest.

“It is when you’re up all night,” said Rory as he helped Liam to his feet, “Artie I set up the guest room for the two of you, it’s just up the stairs and the second door on the right, the bathroom is right across the hall.”

“Thank you,” Artie told them, before he made his way up to their room.

~`~

Molly groaned as she opened her eyes, only to hear Artie chuckle beside her, she closed her eyes and tucked herself back into his side. It didn’t make the light pounding in her head go away, but she could feel him rubbing her back and that made her feel a little better.

“Did you carry me to bed?” she asked, as she slowly opened her eyes to look up at him. “Or am I not remembering something?”

“You fell asleep on your Uncle Liam and almost spilled your wine all over the couch,” Artie told her, and Molly felt herself turn red.

“Merlin I was a mess last night,” Molly moaned, as Artie pushed her hair behind her ears. “Did I say anything bad?”

“No,” said Artie and Molly let out a breath she hadn’t realize she had been holding in. Artie put his shoulders back into the pillows so Molly could tuck herself in closer. “You moaned a little about Lucy, but nothing that we haven’t heard before.”

“Oh good,” said Molly, as she felt him rub her back again. “Thank Merlin I didn’t say anything worse.” She tucked herself closer to him, loving the feel of his hands on her back. Molly felt herself relax into the bed and Artie’s side, feeling her headache start to dual down, as his hands moved down her spine.

“It’s fine my Love,” he said and Molly wrapped her arms around him. They laid together, wrapped up in one another until the alarm on her phone went off and they both got up. Molly still had a bit of a headache, but after a hot shower with Artie and getting herself ready for the game, she began to feel better.

“You look good,” said Artie as she smoothed down the front of his shirt. She was wearing a dark blue sweater dress and yellow leggings, she was starting to like wearing the Puddlemere blue. Though she honestly would’ve rather been wearing just yellow, it was her best color, Lucy’s was blue.

“Thank you,” said Molly as she grabbed her yellow belt off of the bed and put it on, tying her whole outfit together. “You look handsome yourself.”

Artie was wearing the clothes that she had packed for him, dark wash jeans, one of his Puddlemere t-shirts that he got from the shop, a dark gray jacket that she brought home for him a few weeks ago. She thought that he looked very handsome in his clothes with his new haircut, it wasn’t styled like it had been when he got home last night, but he looked more like himself. He pushed all of his hair to one side and it was more wavy than anything else.

She ran her fingers through his hair, which was dry now and softer than it had been before his haircut. Before she pulled his mouth down to hers.

“I love you,” she whispered against his lips, wanting more than anything to crawl back into bed with him and show him how much she loved him.

“We need to get going Angel,” he said, his forehead pressed against hers. “I’d rather have something to celebrate tonight.”

Molly sighed and gave him a quick peck before pulling away and heading to the door. She waved her wand and their bags repacked themselves and flew into her hand, while Artie waved his wand and the room straighten itself, with the bed making itself and everything that was bumped or moved out of place was back to its original position.

If only they could manage to do this at home.

“Remind me when we get home tomorrow to straighten up,” Molly told Artie as they walked downstairs.

“Same,” said Artie as they put their bags by the front door and went into the kitchen. Liam was leaning against the stove, carefully balancing himself while he flipped pancakes and cooked sausages in the pan next to him.

“Coffee?” asked Rory as he poured himself a mug before adding cream and sugar. “Or I can make some tea.”

Molly and Artie both walked over to the coffee maker, each pouring themselves a mug before adding their cream and sugar. Molly giggled as Artie put spoonful after spoonful into his coffee as she took a sip from her own. She usually wasn’t around when he made his coffee, usually she was already at the shop when he finally rolled out of bed.

“How are you feeling, Molly?” asked Liam as he turned off the stove and grabbed his crutches. Rory directed the plates full of food into the dining room with a wave of his wand, following behind them as they all walked into the dining room after him. “A bit hungover still?”

“I was when I woke up,” Molly told him as she took a seat beside Artie. She felt so much better now after a shower and with caffeine in her system. “But I feel better now.”

“Good,” said Rory as he stabbed a sausage off of a plate in front of them and put it on his own. “I was sure that you wouldn’t wake up on time.”

“Artie was actually up before me,” said Molly, still a bit surprised herself that he had been up before her. She was usually up first, mostly because she had to get to the shop to open it in the morning. “I had an alarm set anyways.”

Molly grabbed some pancakes, while Artie put a few sausages on her plate while she put pancakes on his. She didn’t quite know when they started to serve each other food, but she liked it. She liked making Artie a plate during family dinners or even when they cooked together at home.

“Lucky you,” said Rory as he served himself, “your Uncle Liam is up every morning at five, no matter what.”

“I’m not sorry about it,” said Liam and Molly smiled, it was the same thing she told Artie when he whined about her getting up early. “I have to get up early for work.”

“That’s what Molly always says,” said Artie, but Molly could see him smiling.

“Well it’s the truth,” said Molly, before taking a bite of her pancakes. She loved it whenever Uncle Liam cooked, he didn’t do it often, mostly because it was hard for him to stand in front of the stove and move around the kitchen, but he was definitely the best cook in the family.

The Phillips family, not the Weasley family, Rose and Nana Molly were the best Weasley family cooks.

Molly smiled as Artie put his hand on her thigh and she squeezed his arm before returning to her breakfast. She was sure it was her hangover, but she was hungry and she knew that she had a long day ahead of her. After the game, she and Artie were going out with the Puddlemere team and the Krestrals to do a pub crawl.

The Krestrals had offered them a good night after the game was over. Molly was sure that this was what they always did with visiting team, but she didn’t know for sure. She was just happy that she didn’t have to pitch in, as whoever lost today’s game was buying for both teams.

Evan was playing today as was planned before Marci was born, after this game though, he would be out until the end of the season.

Molly picked up the last sausage and took a bite as her uncles went into a flurry of cleaning up the kitchen. She looked over at Artie as he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

“I’m going to get going a little early to get us checked in at the inn were staying at,” whispered Artie, as he took the hand off of her thigh and onto the table to lean in closer to her. “I’ll take our things with me.”

Molly nodded, before she leaned forward and kissed him softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her hands into his hair. She felt his hand go to her waist as he pulled her closer.

“I’ll see you later, Baby,” she whispered as she pulled away from him. “I’ll come by and give you a good luck kiss before the game.”

Artie smiled against her lips before he pulled back and stood up, Molly looked up at him as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’ll look forward to it.”

~`~

Artie tangled his fingers into Molly’s hair as he kissed her. He felt euphoric after not letting in a single goal, something that he hadn’t done since his Hogwarts days. It wasn’t easy to have a no goal game.

“Artie,” said Molly quietly as she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “We need to get going, Babe.”

“Do we?” he asked as she smoothed her hands down his shirt. “Because I’m quite happy right here.”

Molly smiled and rolled her eyes, they were still standing on the pitch, right where she had ran out to meet him after they won the game. He had been hoping that she would’ve been waiting for him when he landed, and had been happy when she was.

“We need to go say goodbye to my uncles,” said Molly and Artie looked over to where there was a small crowd of press and Puddlemere fans watching them. He could see her uncles in green and yellow for the Krestrals, but he was sure that they were happy for him.

They didn’t catch the snitch, but they had still won thanks to Artie’s perfect catches.

Artie let Molly lace their fingers together as she pulled him along to the little crowd. Once they came close though and the press surged forward, Artie pulled on Molly’s arm and put his hand up in front of him to block the reporters.

If they wanted to talk to him, they could wait until he wanted to talk to them.

“Mr. Jacobs! Mr. Jacobs! How was your first prefect game?”

“Jacobs! How are you feeling after such an amazing performance?”

“Mr. Jacobs! Are you gunning for the captaincy with Evan Woods leaving the team?”

Artie whipped his head around at the last question, last he knew, Evan was taking a leave because of Marci. He was sure that Evan would’ve told everyone if he was leaving the team for good.

“Jacobs! What are your thoughts on Wood’s possible retirement?”

“Artie,” said Molly, tugging on his arm and pushing pass the reporters. “Come on.”

She pulled him pass her uncles and into the visitors changing room, where the whole team was assembled in front of them. Artie looked at Evan, who was standing right in front of him, and felt himself grow cold.

“Are you done?” Artie asked, pulling his hands out of Molly’s. “Are you leaving us?”

Evan had taken Artie under his wing when he had started on the team. He had been the one who had picked him up when Molly had cheated on him, when Iggy had left, and when his mother had died. Evan had put him up on his feet over and over again.

He felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

“Yes.”

Artie closed his eyes, his perfect game felt like nothing now. He had been looking forward to when Evan came back for summer training. He had been sure that they would’ve been playing together for a long time.

But Evan was also twenty-nine, older than most Seekers ever got to be. Usually they had enough injuries that by twenty-five they retired.

It was why they were the highest paid players on the team.

“Look Artie,” said Evan and Artie opened his eyes to look at him. “I’ve been very fortunate to not receive any career ending injuries, but that doesn’t mean that I can keep playing forever. I have a family, and I want to be able to spend the time with my children without the risk of an injury that could ruin my time with them.”

“I call a vote for captain,” said Artie, avoiding Evan’s eyes. “If you’re leaving then we’ll need a new leader.”

“It’s not like tha-“

“I vote for Jacobs,” said Avery and Artie felt his heart skip a beat.

“I second,” said Carla, and Artie felt Molly grab his hand, squeezing it softly.

“Same,” said Kyle, and Artie felt as if he was going to faint.

He hadn’t even been captain when he was in school. Micah, Mattie, and James had all been captain though.

“I think were settled then,” said Micah with a smile and Artie felt his knees start to go weak. He really was going to faint. All he wanted when he walked into the locker room was an answer from Evan, not to be made team captain.

He needed a drink.

“Congratulations Artie,” said Evan, and Artie wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. This was all his fault, Evan should still be Seeker, should still be their captain and their leader.

“Artie,” said Molly quietly from beside him, “it’s okay.”

He didn’t feel as if everything was okay, he felt like his stomach was going to fall out of his body.

“I need a drink,” he said, turning on his heel and walking back out the door.

~`~

Molly tipped her head back, matching Artie shot for shot. They were on their third pub, and she was over babysitting him. She knew that him becoming the team captain had been a shock, but she didn’t think that getting drunk at the first pub had been warranted.

She had made him start with a few beers in the first two pubs, but now she couldn’t blame him for wanting to drink something stronger, something harder.

Liam Walsh had been droning on to them for the last fifteen minutes all about different broom models. She had been able to pretend her interest for the first few minutes, but now all she wanted to do was drink.

“No one cares what you have to say Walsh,” said Rena McKillan, the Krestals Keeper and team captain from Molly’s side. “They just want to drink the night away.”

Liam looked at his captain, then at Molly and Artie before nodding his head and leaving them.

“Thanks,” said Molly as the bartender started lining up shots of tequila for all three of them. “I didn’t quite want to tell him to fuck off.”

Artie snorted beside her and put his arm on the back of her chair. “As if that has never been a problem before.”

Molly rolled her eyes as the bartender put two shots in front of all three of them.

“Thanks Mickey,” said Rena as the bartender waved her off, before she turned back to Molly. “How ‘bout the two of you? Seem a bit down for such a killer game.”

Molly glanced at Artie, but he was already knocking back his first shot. She had been impressed by him this afternoon, she had never even heard of a perfect game before, of a Keeper blocking every goal that came near.

The Krestrals had won the League the last two years, but Artie had been better.

“Evan Wood, the Seeker, told the team that he was retiring after the game,” Molly told Rena, as she felt Artie stiffen beside her. “The team then voted Artie captain in his place.”

Rena eyebrows disappeared into her dark bangs and Molly would’ve thought it funny, if only Artie had been in a better mood.

“That’s a lot to deal with,” said Rena, and Molly glanced back at Artie, who picked up his second shot. “At least we have something to really drink to then.”

Rena knocked back both of her shots like they were water and Molly did the same. She had prepared herself during dinner with a hearty meal, but she had also packed away a few hangover cure potions in her bag, just in case.

“Oi! Puddlemere, Krestals! Next pub!” yelled Micah over the music and Rena slapped a few muggle bills onto the counter before they left.

It was snowing when they stepped out of the pub and headed towards the next. Molly laced her fingers threw Artie’s, she was beginning to feel the effect of her four shots of tequila and the two beers she had before. Artie had wrapped her up in his jacket, but she was beginning to feel too warm under the cover.

Luckily, their next pub was bigger than the one before, and it seemed like the Krestrals were more frequent visitors as they were led to a private booth. Evan had left them after the game, and they had lost Carla sometime between the second and third pub; Molly was sure that James would disappear pretty soon, but he was half Weasley.

And Weasley’s liked to party, liked to drink.

Not that James could hold his liquor too well to begin with.

She let Rena sit next to her again, with a small tray of shots in front of her. She tucked herself under Artie’s arm as she accepted the tequila shot and knocked it back as they all cheered to a good game.

“And to the new Puddlemere captain, Artie!” yelled James, sloshing his beer onto himself as he held up his glass. “May he led us to a League win this season!”

Molly rolled her eyes as James’ wife and team manager Katie took his drink from him and drank it in one breath. She forgot how much the Wood siblings liked to drink, though she was sure growing up with four older brothers hadn’t helped Katie.

Or being married to James.

“You think we could get a bottle of Firewhiskey?” Artie whispered in Molly’s ear as the teams started leaving the booth to get more drinks from the bar. “I don’t feel quite drunk enough yet.”

Molly looked up at him, his eyes were glazed over as if he was drunk, but she hadn’t heard so much as a slur in his voice. The day hadn’t exactly gone how she expected, how _either_ of them had expected it, but she didn’t really understand why he was so upset.

“I,” she paused, her head was starting to swim. “I don’t know.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said, slipping away from her and heading to the bar. Molly slumped back into the booth and pressed her nose into Artie’s jacket that was still hanging on her shoulders. It smelled like him, warm and musky and sweet like his coffee.

She just wanted to go back to their hotel room and talk, she wanted to know why he was so upset. She knew that he and Evan were good friends, but she didn’t understand the radio silence from him.

“Are you sure he’s alright?” asked Rena, and Molly ignored her, she didn’t need anyone butting into her and Artie’s relationship.

She already got enough of that from the people related to her.

“Here we go,” said Artie as he returned with a bottle in his hands and two new shot glasses. Molly took the first shot quickly, before Artie had even poured himself one.

If she was going to get drunk, she bloody well was going to not remember the rest of the night.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes, immediately regretting it as sunlight streamed in through the open blinds. His head felt like it was going to split into two halves, though he was sure that would’ve felt better than how he felt now.

“Ummm,” moaned Molly beside him as she opened her eyes just enough for him to see a sliver of brown, before snapping them shut again. “Fuck this.”

Artie chuckled to himself, before he felt his stomach lurch in protest. Molly beside him moaned again, and he tried to remember what happened last night after the fourth pub.

His brain was coming up blank, but he could easily guess what he and Molly did upon coming back to their hotel room. His clothes were in a heap by the door, while Molly’s were not much farther in the room. He could see a condom wrapper on the floor, which at least calmed him down a little bit.

But part of him still felt uneased.

“Babe,” moaned Molly, not even bothering to lift her head out of her pillow. “I packed a potion for us.”

Artie opened his mouth, and snapped it shut, he was going to throw up if he moved, if he opened his mouth again. He shouldn’t have bought that bottle of Firewhiskey, or really put it on the Krestrals tab, he had felt like an arse for that one, and now he was paying the price.

Molly moved beside him and he looked at her, she looked a mess, her hair a crown of red and orange curls. Her makeup was smeared across her face and her eyes were rimmed red. He pushed her hair out of her face and noticed that her skin felt warmer than normal.

Neither one of them moved from their spot in bed, both of them looking at each other. Until Molly jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, Artie was amazed by how fast she moved, until he heard her retching.

He climbed out of bed and walked over to Molly’s luggage bag and pulled out a small bag of clinking bottles. He pulled out two hangover potions and opened one, drinking it down like a shot.

Artie immediately felt his head clear, as he walked into the bathroom where Molly was getting sick in the toilet. He sat down beside her and rubbed her back as he handed her the potion. She drank it quickly before she reached up and flushed the toilet.

“Artie,” she said, moving into his arms. He leaned against the bathroom cabinet and held her in his arms as she cuddled into his chest. “I just want to go home.”

Artie rubbed her shoulders, tangling his fingers in her hair as she tucked her head under his chin.

“Me too,” he whispered, as he tightened his arm around her waist. “This weekend was not what I expected.”

“No,” she whispered, pulling away to look up at him, “it wasn’t.”


	16. Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy’s baby shower goes off with a bang.

** Chapter Fifteen: Seventeen **

By Troye Sivan

_I'm taking in the sights and measuring the sounds  
Heard the whispers, now let's see what all the talk's about_

Molly curled her fingers into Artie’s hair as she kissed him. Today was going to be a good day, she was sure of it.

“Morning Molly-Love,” he whispered against her lips, as his arms tightened around her waist, holding her closer to him. Molly giggled as she leaned forward and kissed him again. She felt safe with him so close to her, so happy.

“Morning Baby,” she said, before kissing him again and allowing him to roll them over. It was the first morning that she woke up before him in the two weeks since they had returned from Ireland. She hadn’t liked it, mostly because she knew that he wasn’t sleeping. He was spending the night wallowing in his anger and sadness over Evan leaving the team and the team voting him captain.

She just didn’t understand why he was so upset about being made captain, obviously the team wanted him in that position.

“No game today,” he said from on top of her, and Molly wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.

“It’s Lucy’s baby shower today,” she told him, as he put his head on her chest. She held him close to her, running her hands up and down his back, and over his shoulders and neck. She could feel him relaxing into her as she did this, he had been so stressed lately, it was worrying her.

“Uhh,” said Artie and Molly rolled her eyes, happy that he couldn’t see her. She had brought the baby shower up a few weeks as a distraction for Artie…and Lucy.

Lucy was set to start her maternity leave in April, and as much as Molly loved her sister, she couldn’t wait. Lucy was causing more problems around the shop than help, she was constantly bumping into things and forgetting what she was doing and it seemed that the closer her due date neared, even though it was still seven weeks away, the more emotional she was getting. Molly was probably spending more time following Lucy around and comforting her than getting her own work done.

“I know,” said Molly as she curled her fingers back up into his hair. “But she’s family.”

Artie sighed and Molly went back to rubbing his back, she felt his arms grip her tighter as she did this. She honestly just wanted to stay cuddled up in bed all day with Artie, but knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“Molly,” whispered Artie, picking up his head to look at her. “Thank you for everything these last few weeks.”

Molly smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her softly, she ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled her closer. She felt his hands move under her shirt as he kissed her and let him pull it off over her head. She gasped as his lips moved down her neck and his hands wandered over her body.

“Artie,” said Molly as she felt herself blush as he moved his lips down her chest. “Artie we need to get ready.”

“Don’t want to,” said Artie as he tickled her sides. Molly burst out laughing as she tried to push him off, but instead they rolled off the edge of the bed and onto the floor, both of them shrieking with laughter.

“Artie!” yelled Molly as he playfully bit at her neck and wrapped his arms around her.

“Molly,” said Artie as he cuddled into her chest, holding her tightly. “I love you.”

Molly ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, bringing his mouth to hers and kissing him softly. She let him kiss her and put his hands all over body her again, kissing her and grabbing at her ass and thighs.

“Babe,” whispered Molly as she pulled away, “I need to get ready.”

Artie pulled away and looked at her, his eyes dark and lustful, his mouth bright red. “Do you have too?”

“Yes,” said Molly, leaning down and kissing her forehead. “You can join me in the shower if you want too though.”

“Sounds too tempting to pass up,” said Artie, as he kissed her neck and held her close to him. “Race you there.”

Molly scrambled to her feet and climbed over the bed to try and beat Artie to the shower. She grabbed at his boxers to try and trip him up, but it didn’t work as he just slipped them off and kept running.

She let out a frustrated groan as he started the shower and she slipped off her underwear to jump in after him. “You cheated,” she told him as she pushed him under the stream of hot water.

“I didn’t grab you by the underwear to try to win,” said Artie as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly.

“You don’t seem that upset,” she told him as she pulled away and got started with taking her shower. She washed both of their faces while Artie started washing their hair, spiking his own hair into a Mohawk and giving himself a soap beard.

“I don’t think I’m going to shave today,” said Artie as he rinsed off his face, “I don’t really feel like it.”

“I like it when you have a bit of stubble,” Molly told him as she ran her hands over his two-day old stubble. “I wouldn’t mind if you skip the shave every once in a while.”

“Really?” asked Artie as he grabbed her face in both of his hands, Molly tried to pull away as he rubbed his scratchy cheeks against hers. She laughed as his hands moved to her waist and he rubbed his face against her shoulders and chest.

“Yes,” she told him through her laughter, “I like it.”

Once they were done, Molly got dressed while Artie watched her get ready. She had long ago gotten used to this part of their routine, she was usually up before him and out the door before he even got out of bed. She always tried to be quiet and quick, but she knew that he didn’t mind if she woke him.

“You don’t get to wear yellow enough,” said Artie as Molly zipped up her favorite yellow sundress. She reached into their closet and pulled out a white cardigan and slipped it on over her shoulders, before she started pulling out the clothes she wanted Artie to wear.

“Neither do you,” said Molly as she pulled out the new shirt she had brought home for him. It was yellow and black plaid and she found a clean white t-shirt and jeans for him to wear with it.

“We haven’t matched in a while,” said Artie as Molly put his clothes at the end of the bed for him. “Not since Christmas I think.”

“We match every Saturday Artie,” Molly told him as she sat down beside him on the bed. He pulled her into his lap as she took her hair out of her towel, letting it fall down her back.

“Not really,” he said, and Molly rolled her eyes.

“I have to stop in at the shop before the baby shower,” said Molly as she climbed out of his lap and headed to the bathroom. “I’ll meet you at the Burrow around one?”

Molly brushed her hair, did her makeup, and finished getting ready for the day; before leaving the bathroom and finding Artie getting dressed in the clothes she put out for him.

“I love you Baby,” she whispered as she kissed him before she walked out of their bedroom.

“I love you too Angel.”

~`~

Artie poured himself his second cup of coffee as he listened to the wireless. It was weird for him to have a day off, but Oliver and Katie always worked their schedule to give them a few off weekends towards the end of the season. Giving them two weeks off before the League playoffs.

He was actually looking more forward to it than before, he had been invited to the beach with Molly’s family twice before, and he had gone once when he was seventeen. He and Molly had been dating for a bit longer than a year at the time, and had been sure that he was going to be ambushed, only to be saved by Dominique’s pregnancy drama.

“So my secret source has told me that the rumors are true about Puddlemere’s Seekers,” said Devon’s voice from the radio. Artie took a long sip of his coffee as he heard a familiar giggle in the background.

Lucy sometimes came and sat with Devon during his radio show on her days off or when she was closing the shop. He could usually tell if she was there by the music Devon played or if he could hear muffed giggling.

“The rumors that have been spreading around the League are true,” continued Devon in almost a whisper, “the oldest of Oliver and Katie Wood’s children, Evan Wood, is retiring from professional Quidditch. It was being speculated over the last few months that Evan would be taking a leave after this season to be with his family, as he recently did welcome my first niece about a month ago. That and as being the second oldest Seeker in the League, the odds on him staying another year were slim.

“Rumor also has it that this was the reason why Coach Wood was giving the Puddlemere reserve Seeker Kyle Louie so much game time. Louie is the second youngest member of the Puddlemere team, having graduated from Hogwarts two years ago, only second to Arthur Jacobs, the Puddlemere Keeper.”

Artie took another sip of his coffee as he turned up the radio, Devon’s secret sources were him and Evan and James. Everything that he knew, came from one of the three of them, not that this was a surprise to Artie.

“Speaking of the only Keeper this season to have an absolute perfect game,” said Devon with more quiet giggles from Lucy. “Rumor once again has it that he has been voted by the Puddlemere team as the new team captain. Beating out all four of the former Hogwarts team captains on his team, Micah and Mattie Wood, James S. Potter, and Carla Silas.”

“Wow,” said Lucy, quietly in the background, “is that really true?”

“I don’t know, but luckily we’ll be seeing several of the Puddlemere team members today,” said Devon, and Artie could hear the giddiness in his voice. “Would you like to tell everyone what we are doing today Lucy?”

Artie smiled to himself as he set down his coffee cup and listened closely to the wireless.

“Well,” said Lucy, dragging out the word, “as I’m sure everyone who has listened to you talk for longer than a few minutes in the last few months, I am pregnant.”

Artie rolled his eyes, sure that Devon was doing the same.

“Today, my twin sister is throwing me a baby shower at my grandparent’s house,” went on Lucy, not even skipping a beat. “And I’m sure that we’ll come home with more unnecessary baby toys and blankets too.”

“But they’re so cute in the nursery, Lucy-Love,” said Devon with a laugh. “Especially now that the walls are painted.”

“Do you think any of your listeners will send us diapers?” asked Lucy and Artie burst out laughing the same time that Devon did.

“I’m sure that if you ask nicely then someone may send us some,” Devon told her, as Artie picked up his coffee cup again.

“Please Devon’s listeners, send us some diapers,” said Lucy, while Devon took his turn giggling in the background. “They can be sent here to the radio station or to my shop Weasley’s Witchy Wears in Diagon Alley.”

“With this being said,” said Devon with a chuckle, “if you would like to send us anything before Baby L is born, we would be incredibly thankful and those who do send us something will get a shout out on my show and put into a giveaway drawing.”

“What are you giving away?” asked Lucy, and Artie could hear the annoyance in her voice.

“We are giving away two tickets to the Quidditch League playoff finals,” said Devon, and Artie stared down the wireless, wondering where or how Devon got tickets for that.

“Thank Merlin we can’t throw our names into that,” said Lucy, annoyed. “And can I also say, that none of my family is welcome to enter this giveaway. You all can bother James if you want Quidditch tickets.”

Artie laughed to himself as he walked over to the sink and rinsed out his empty cup. It was almost one and he needed to get himself to the Burrow as Molly had asked him to meet her then. He had never just gone to her grandparent’s house without her, not that he was worried or afraid of them, but he did still feel slightly nervous around them.

“Well on this fun note, my lovely and beautiful wife Lucy and I need to say goodbye,” said Devon, calmly from the wireless. “And remember that if any of my listeners send baby gifts to the station then their name will be entered to win Quidditch tickets to the League finals.”

“Also remember that we do not know the gender of the baby, but whether it’s a boy or a girl we are accepting anything blue,” cut in Lucy with a giggle.

“Thank you everyone, here’s an oldie to take us out.”

Artie flipped off the radio and grabbed his jacket, putting it on as he headed to the door. He locked up the door after himself and headed out to the street, before ducking into the alley beside the building and disapparating to the Burrow.

~`~

Molly ran her fingers through her hair and twisted it up into a bun, she let out a sigh as she clipped her hair back and went to work. It was a nice day today, one of the first warm days of spring.

Outside, she could see the family popping out of thin air as they apparated in. Her parents in the lead as they came up the walk.

“Molly,” said Nana Molly as she stood beside Molly, helping her assemble sandwiches. “Calm down, before you cut yourself.”

Molly sighed and did as she was told, she didn’t really feel comfortable in the kitchen, but over the last few months had been making more of an effort to learn how to cook. She had been coming over early on Sunday nights and helping Nana Molly in the kitchen.

She wanted to surprise Artie before they went on the beach trip with a meal that she cooked entirely on her own.

“Yes nana,” said Molly as she took a deep breath. She heard the back door open and looked up to see Artie, he looked so handsome in his yellow plaid and jeans.

“Hey there,” said Artie with a smile, “what do you need help with?”

It was exactly what Molly had wanted to hear. She smiled at Artie and directed him to the sandwich assembly while she went to greet her parents.

“Molly,” said Percy as Molly walked up to him and her mother, hugging both of them. Percy pushed a stray curl back behind her ear as he looked around the garden. It was a nice enough day that Molly thought they could have the party outside. “How are you?”

“Well,” she told him as she took the gift bag from her mother and walked over to the table she had asked Grandad Arthur to set up for the gifts. “Do you mind helping bringing out food? Artie and nana are finishing up the sandwiches and everyone else is bringing something to pass.”

“When are Lucy and Devon coming?” asked Audrey as Percy started walking up to the house.

“I told them one, but you know Lucy,” said Molly, she honestly thought it was funny that she was the more punctual one of the two of them, as they both used to be just as bad as their mother.

She looked up from the table, thinking about her own gift for Lucy and Devon. She had remember wrapping it earlier, but she pushed it out of her head as she spotted several of her cousins heading over.

“Is this where we’re putting the gifts?” asked Roxanne as she put a wrapped box down on the table next to Molly’s parent’s gift. “We got them some towels and blankets, Freddie and LeeAnne went through them like crazy with their lot.”

Molly smiled as she turned to Roxanne and her boyfriend Sean Finnigan who was wrapped up around her. “Really? I just got them some baby clothes and books,” said Molly, already second guessing her gift.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Sean, with a wave of his hand. “I’m sure they’ll be happy with anything, my sister has been accepting everything given to her and Hajari.”

“Lucy isn’t having triplets though,” said Molly as Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione walked up to them.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Roxanne with a shrug, “babies are messy.”

“They are,” said Uncle Ron as he handed Molly a small bag, “and loud. I swear we wouldn’t have slept without earplugs.”

“That is not true,” said Hermione, as Roxanne and Sean went up to the house to help Percy. “Rose slept through the night after three months.”

“I can watch the table if you need to get things organized,” whispered Audrey as Molly’s aunt and uncle walked away. “Remember that your father and I are at your disposal.”

Molly let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding in, and hugged her mother quickly before running back up to the house. She walked quickly through the kitchen and headed upstairs, bypassing the bathroom and heading up to her father’s old bedroom.

She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, she was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed, and wished that she had asked her mother and Aunt Astoria for help. She opened her eyes at the sound of the door opening and closing, but didn’t move until Artie climbed onto the bed beside her.

“I thought that I would find you up here,” said Artie as she turned on her side to look at him. “You seem a bit stressed out about this.”

“I just want it to go well for Lucy and Devon,” Molly told him as he unclipped her hair and rubbed her shoulders. She tucked her head into his chest and relaxed to the sound of his heartbeat, matching her breaths with his.

“I think it will,” said Artie as he smoothed down her hair, letting his hand go down her back. “You just need to tell us what to do.”

Molly didn’t like to boss her family around though, Lucy was always the one who took charge between the two of them. She always had a plan and a backup plan and a backup for the backup plan. Molly couldn’t even think that far ahead.

“I think I forgot our gift at the shop,” said Molly as she wrapped her arm around his chest. She felt sleepy and tired in his arms, with him stroking her hair and back. “Would you mind flooing to the flat above and double checking, because otherwise I left it back home.”

“I didn’t see anything gifted wrapped or in a bag back home, otherwise I would’ve brought it along,” said Artie as he rested his hand on her lower back, holding her close. “But I’ll go look if you want.”

“I’m sure I left it on the table if anything,” Molly told him as she picked her head up. “If not, then I’ll get it to them later. It’s not as if they won’t have enough things for this baby. I’m sure Devon’s going to try and get raffle from the station or something.”

“He’s giving away two tickets to the League finals for anyone who sends something to them,” said Artie with a chuckle. “They announced it on his show today.”

“Really?” asked Molly looking at him, only to see him smiling at her. “That’s so stupid.”

“He knows his listeners though,” countered Artie, and Molly couldn’t help but agree. Devon’s shows got a lot of listeners, though it did help that he kept everyone informed with the Quidditch League gossip that he heard from Evan, James, and now Artie.

The pair of them laid together for a few more minutes, and Molly felt all of the stress and tension in her shoulders melt away. It was once she started to feel like she could actually take a nap that she got up, pulling Artie along with her.

“Mason and Libby are in the shop, but if you floo into the flat, you won’t have to deal with them,” said Molly as they started on their way back downstairs. “And like I said, it should just be on the table.”

“Okay,” said Artie, as he grabbed her arm right before the last set of stairs and pulled her close to him. “Did I tell you that you look beautiful today?”

Molly felt herself blush as Artie ducked his head and kissed her, she had no idea what this was for, but she didn’t complain as he wrapped one of his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. All of the tension that had creeped back up into her shoulders let go as she put her hands up into his hair and pulled on it lightly.

“What was that for?” she asked breathlessly, once he pulled away.

“Because you need to calm down,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers, “and because you look beautiful and I love you.”

Molly smiled against his lips, and allowed him to kiss her once more, before a noise at the bottom of the stairs startled them apart. Molly looked down to see her Uncle Bill and his youngest grandson S.J. staring up at them.

She wasn’t very close to her Uncle Bill, but she was the same age as Dominique his youngest daughter while Lucy was close to his only son Louis. It was all because of her father, he and Uncle Bill just didn’t get along, ever since they were children and it only got worse after the war.

Molly walked down the stairs while Artie followed behind her, his hand on her lower back as they walked. She smiled at her uncle and his grandson, before slipping back into the kitchen, giggling as Artie put his hands on her hips and pulled her close.

“That was awkward,” whispered Artie as he pulled her into a corner, even though no one was in the kitchen, a rare sight. “He’s the one your dad doesn’t get along with right?”

“Yes,” said Molly as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “I try not to worry about it.”

“Alright,” he whispered, before pulling away from her, “I should get going before this thing really gets started.”

“Okay,” she said, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Get going then.”

He kissed her quickly before pulling away and heading to the fireplace, leaving her in a rush of green fire.

~`~

Artie walked out of the tiny fireplace in the flat above the clothing shop. Everything in the flat was small, it was small and cramp, and fit for only one person. Though now, it looked more like a storage room than anything else. It was night and day from the first time he had been in there, while before it had been messy and dirty, now it was clean and organized. It honestly looked more like a storage room with a small kitchen attached than anything.

“Here we are,” Artie mumbled to himself as he saw the small gift bag on the table. He picked it up carefully, the table was covered in papers and parchment that he didn’t want to mess up.

He was sure that Molly and Lucy would’ve killed him if he messed up everything.

But then he took a second glance at the papers, as he saw his brother’s name on the edge of an open folder.

Artie sat down and looked over the papers more carefully, the folder was labeled with the name _Ignatius Bentley Jacobs_. His older brother.

He carefully shuffled through the papers, most of them had a date stamp in the top corner, December 14, 2026. It made his heart skip a beat because if Molly had this since before the New Year’s, then she must have been looking for him.

He felt his heart contract as he read over the papers, how Iggy had started strong in Auror training and then turned to drinking and drugs until he was kicked out. The pictures didn’t help either, the progression of Iggy from his Hogwarts graduation to when he was kicked out of the Aurors was night and day.

Iggy had left three years ago, he had disappeared the year before their mother had died.

He hadn’t even noticed how Iggy had disappeared in front of him, how he had changed from the happy and healthy, smiling Hogwarts graduate to a pale and gaunt homeless man. Artie flipped to the last page of the folder and felt his heart drop out of his stomach.

It was a death certificate.

His brother was dead and Molly knew.

Artie stood up, crumpling the death certificate in his hand as he apparated.

“Molly!” he yelled the second he appeared outside the gate of the Burrow. “MOLLY!”

~`~

Molly looked over her shoulder at the sound of her name, she had started to get worried when Artie hadn’t come back right away. She had been sure that he had gone down to the shop and ran into Libby or Mason or both of them.

“Molly!” yelled Artie walking through her family and right up to her, she looked down at his hands, he didn’t have the gift bag. Instead he was clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

“Artie,” said Molly quietly as she looked up at him, for some reason he looked furious. His whole face was red and he was glaring at her, it was like their very last fight.

It was like she was seventeen again, and she was telling Artie that she had kissed someone else.

“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out to put a hand on his arm, but he pulled away from her. She wanted to pull him away from her family, to take him away from all of the eyes and ears around them.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Iggy was dead?” screeched Artie, bring even more attention to them. Molly glanced around at her cousins, her aunts and uncles, and she caught Lucy’s eyes from where she stood by backdoor of the Burrow.

She turned back to Artie, his eyes were cold and furious and darker than she had ever seen before. “Artie,” she said quietly, feeling herself grow nervous. She had wanted to tell him after the season, had wanted to have a proper memorial service for Iggy, for Artie to be able to mourn for his brother. “I wanted to tell you at the right time.”

Artie threw his hands in the air and walked away from her, the paper in his hand flying away in the wind. “Of course Molly!” screamed Artie as he stepped away from her, “of course you couldn’t tell me right away! My brother died a year ago and you couldn’t tell me sooner!”

Molly watched him, feeling herself grow smaller as he paced in front of her, the color in his face was draining slowly, but he still looked angry, agitated. “Artie please don’t do this now.”

“Do what Molly?” asked Artie with more venom in his than she had ever heard before. “Be upset in front of your family? At least you have a fucking family!”

“That is enough, Artie!” said Lucy as she wrapped her arms around Molly’s shoulders. She hadn’t even realized that she was shaking until Lucy touched her. “Don’t take this out on her!”

“As if you could understand,” said Artie and Molly felt a wave of emotion hit her. Artie had to know that it wasn’t like this.

“I’m probably the only one who does know,” said Lucy as Molly slipped out of her arms and sat down on the ground. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, she wanted to be away from this moment, this very spot. “But that doesn’t mean you should talk to us like that.”

“Oh fuck off Lucy,” said Artie, flipping her the bird and walking back towards the gate.

“Don’t talk to my wife that way, you bloody stupid arsehole!” yelled Devon at Artie’s retreating form, and Molly pulled her legs into her chest.

“Molly,” whispered Lucy, slowly lowering herself to the ground and sitting next to her. She felt Lucy’s hands on her back, rubbing soothing circles. “It’s okay, you’ll come home with us and stay until he can calm down.”

“I should’ve told him when Scorpius told me,” whispered Molly as Devon sat down on Molly’s other side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Molly liked Devon, she loved everything that he did for her sister, but right now she felt like he was actually her brother.

“This is not your fault Molly,” said Devon, as he pulled her into his side. “He shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

Molly nodded, even though she couldn’t really agree. What Artie had said was true, she should’ve told him, she should’ve been brave enough, strong enough to tell him about Iggy.

“We should get this thing started,” said Molly as Lucy wiped at her eyes and Devon helped her up to her feet, before helping Molly. “Thank you for everything.”

“Of course,” said Lucy while Devon nodded next to her, “we have your back.”

“We’re family Molly,” said Devon, as he put his hand on Molly’s shoulder. “Anything you need we’re here for you.”

Molly wiped at her face, and smiled weakly at Lucy and Devon, “don’t worry about me guys. I should be the one offering you support right now.”

“Baby L isn’t making their appearance anytime soon,” said Lucy as she put a hand on her stomach. “We can share some support for now.”

Molly nodded as she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, she looked up to see James smiled down at her sadly. “I’m sorry Mo, I haven’t ever seen Artie get upset like that.”

“You couldn’t have stepped in?” asked Devon and Molly rolled her eyes. “He was screaming at her and you just stood to the side.”

“I didn’t see you step in until he yelled at Lucy, Devon,” said James and he held up his hand before Devon could interrupt him. “And I have to work with Artie every day.”

“Don’t,” said Molly, knocking James’ arm down to his side. “Enough of this, let’s just get the baby shower started and move on from there.”

It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who had this idea as Audrey came over and pulled Lucy and Devon over to the table Molly had set up earlier with games for everyone to play. She had been so excited to celebrate her possible niece or nephew.

~`~

Artie apparated onto the Puddlemere pitch and went straight to the changing room. He was so angry at Molly, how could she have not said anything to him about Iggy. If anything had ever happened to Lucy, to any of her family, he would’ve told her immediately.

He changed into his summer practice clothes, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Before he grabbed his broom and went flying. Artie knew that he was a good flier, he was confident and agile, he didn’t even have to think about how he wanted to fly; he just flew.

It was what he did when he was upset.

He flew up high into the clouds, not feeling the cold, the moisture clinging to his clothes, or his broom under him. He just let the cold air numb him until he couldn’t think anymore.

Artie only came down when the darkness creeped in and he was so cold that his limbs felt stiff and tired. He landed down close to the locker room and took a long shower before changing back into his clothes.

For the first time in a long time, he didn’t want to go home.

He was still angry at Molly, but he knew that he hadn’t reacted in the best way, he shouldn’t have yelled at her like he did.

“What are you doing here?”

Artie looked up at Evan, his youngest son William was in his arms and reaching for him. He took William from Evan, ignoring him as he grabbed at his hair.

“I fucked up.”

“Dude,” said Evan in a flat voice as he looked from Artie to his son. “Not in front of my kid.”

“Sorry,” said Artie as he set William down on the ground, and Evan gave him his toy broom to fly with. “I got into a fight with Molly.”

“Oh shit,” said Evan softly, before he looked around to find William almost halfway across the field. “What about?”

“My brother,” Artie told him and when Evan gave him a blank stare he continued on. “My older brother Iggy disappeared a few years ago, abandoned the Aurors and left home. I hadn’t heard from him since, hadn’t seen him since then either, and that was about three years ago.”

“About a year before your mum died,” said Evan and Artie nodded, not meeting Evan’s eyes.

“Yeah, around the same time that Molly and I broke up too,” said Artie as he glanced over at William, who was chasing after a toy Snitch in front of him. “Then today, she asked me to get Lucy’s baby shower gift and I found this folder full of information about Iggy. He died almost a year ago from now and she’s know about it since before Christmas, Evan.”

Evan was quiet, both of them watching William fly around the pitch, chasing after his Snitch.

“Did you ask her why?” asked Evan quietly, and Artie looked at him.

“What?”

“Did you ask her why she kept it from you?” repeated Evan as he bent down and grabbed the toy Snitch, before throwing it back to the center of the pitch.

“No,” said Artie, because at the time, he hadn’t cared.

“Maybe you should,” said Evan, as William flew up to them, his Snitch in one hand. “You can’t know her reasons if you don’t ask.”

“Yeah,” agreed Artie, even though part of him still didn’t care.

Evan bent down and took the Snitch from his son, before winding it up and throwing it back onto the pitch for William to chase around again. “Sometimes you have ask, even if you are angry and even if you don’t care to hear the answer. Marriage is more give and take than you’d ever expect. Take it from someone who’s been married for a while.”

“Six years now?” asked Artie, looking at him. “That’s not very long Evan.”

“I know, but it’s longer than you… and James too,” said Evan with a large smile, “combined even.”

Artie rolled his eyes, “I’ll keep it all in mind.”

“I never pass up free advice,” said Evan as he put his hands into his pockets and watched his son fly around. Artie felt himself smile as he watched William fly, he was a good kid and a great flier as he zoomed around the field.

“Okay then,” said Artie after a few minutes, “what advice do you have for me yelling at Lucy also?”

“First off,” said Evan, turning back to Artie. “You need to apologize to Molly and have a real conversation with her about what happened. Even though it’s going to piss you off hearing whatever excuse she has, just remember that she loves you. Then when that’s through, you ask her how to apologize to Lucy, let her tell you exactly how to do it. Lucy’s pregnant and incredibly hormonal, she’s always cried at the drop of a Quaffle, even before she was pregnant, and she’ll probably either be angry at you for a while or cry the second she sees you.”

“Merlin,” mumbled Artie, taking in Evan’s words. “I don’t think I can do all that.”

“You can,” said Evan with a wary smile. “It’s just really going to suck, and you’ll go through a big range of emotions, but make up sex is always great.”

Artie laughed, before letting out a long sigh. He didn’t want to have to apologize to Molly, or Lucy, or Devon as he knew he needed to. But they were his only family now, they were all he had left.

He felt Evan put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it softly, not saying a word as William flew up to them again, with his Snitch under one arm.

“Hey Buddy,” said Evan, as he bent down and took the Snitch from William, “you ready to go home yet?”

William looked from his father to Artie and then back to Evan, before nodding. “See Baby?” he asked, holding his arms up to Evan.

Evan picked up his son and his toy broom, holding them carefully in his arms. It looked a bit clumsy, but both of them seemed happy. Artie watched them as they started for the stairs, probably to go up to the floo in the press box.

“Evan!” called Artie, running over to the stairs as Evan and William reached the first landing.

“Yeah,” called down Evan as he turned and adjusted William in his arms.

“Thank you,” said Artie, as he looked up at Evan. He was honestly the closest thing that Artie had to an older brother, even before Iggy had left, Evan had been there for him. “For everything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Evan with a wave of his free hand, before readjusting William again. “It’s the same thing I would tell any of my siblings.”

“Good to know,” said Artie, as he took a step back from the stairs.

“You know,” said Evan softly, and Artie strained to hear him. “Just because I’m no longer on the team, it doesn’t mean that I won’t be there for the lot of you. It’s just time for me to move on, and it’s time for the rest of you to step up. You’ll be a great captain Artie, you’ve been leading them for quite a while now.”

Artie nodded, even though it hadn’t felt like it, he knew that Evan was right. He had been leading the team through practice since they came back in the New Year’s. He knew most of it came from how happy and confident he had been with Molly beside him.

Evan kept walking away with William in his arms and Artie watched them until they disappeared in the darkness, before he took his own leave and disapparated back home.

~`~

Molly sat down on her old bed in the flat over the shop. Her old bedroom was a little dusty and stale, but with a few quick cleaning spells, her bedroom was fresh and clean again. She changed her clothes and crawled into bed, the covers were cold and thin, and the mattress harder than she had become used to.

This wasn’t home, it hadn’t been for a long time.

She laid in bed, trying to get comfortable, trying to get warm under the covers, but nothing seemed to work.

She wanted Artie, she wanted to go home, she wanted to crawl into bed beside him and wake up next to him as she did that morning.

After a few more minutes, she got up and made herself a cup of tea with more sugar than she ever put in before. It was just the way Artie always took his tea, and she sat down at the table, looking through the papers spread out over the table. She suddenly felt stupid, she had left everything out for anyone to see.

On the floor, on its side, was the baby shower gift, a blue onesie slipping out of the top. Molly didn’t move to pick it up, instead she sat with her feet underneath her and reread Iggy’s file.

She wasn’t going to sleep tonight, there was no way she would.

It wasn’t as if they had never fought before, they disagreed about plenty of things. It was just that this fight, brought her back to seventeen again, of her standing in front of him and telling him that she had kissed someone else. That she had a lapse in judgement, in trust, and had hurt him.

That had been the first time he had ever seen her cry real tears. It had been the first time she had ever considered lying to him. That had been the first time she had ever been scared to get off the train from Hogwarts.

She wanted to go home, back to the flat they shared. She wanted to crawl into bed and kiss Artie goodnight and go to sleep. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was.

Molly turned on the wireless with a tired flick of her wand and let the Muggle music fill her flat. It had been so long since she had heard Billy Joel, since she had heard him on the radio, or at her parents’ house.

“ _Well I never had a place that I could call my very own, but that's all right my love 'cause you're my home_ ,” she sang along as the music filled the tiny room. It didn’t bring the room to life as it usually did for her. She and Lucy had grown up listening to the old tapes and CDs their mother had taken from her childhood home, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, and The Eagles had been the soundtrack of every road trip and every bad day of their childhood.

She shuffled all the papers about Iggy back into the folder and tucked the whole thing away, clearing up some space on the table. Molly had some work to do, and not a lot of time.

But she would push through, it was after all, what she did best.

**Three Years Ago – 2024**

Artie stood just outside the barrier to platform 9¾, waiting. He carefully rearranged the flowers in the bouquet he had picked up on his way to the train station, his mother had insisted on him bringing flowers.

She had told him it was the right thing to do.

His life had been turned upside down with Quidditch practice and games, let alone navigating his new team mates. The Wood family, while very nice and friendly, were all very intense and serious players on the pitch, a complete contrast to off the pitch. While the Beaters, Avery and Carla seemed a bit odd, though they had both been very welcoming. And then there was the other newest member of the team, though he had started the year before, James S. Potter.

Artie knew that James was Molly’s cousin, and they had played Quidditch together before, but that was back when James was a Gryffindor and Artie a Hufflepuff. It wasn’t the same now, the pair of them playing together, instead of against one another.

He checked the large clock at the far end of the platform and sighed. Molly would be coming out of the barrier at any second, and he couldn’t have been more excited.

He missed her, he missed her hair and freckles, her smile and the way it lit up her eyes, he missed her laugh and the way she said his name.

Artie loved Molly with his whole heart, he had for the last two years, and while he hadn’t had the time lately to show her, to write to her, it didn’t make his heart ache any less.

He watched as students started to slip out of the barrier, some with their parents, but more without. Plenty of older witches and wizards and Muggles with magical children surrounded him. Artie wasn’t alone in waiting for a loved one, but he was one of the youngest.

“Artie!” called someone from behind him, Artie whipped his head around. “Oi Jacobs! Is that you?”

Artie looked in the direction where the voice came from and saw James walking towards him. He had his younger brother, Al with him. Artie knew Al better than he knew James, they had been in the same year at Hogwarts and had quite a few classes together. Artie liked Al, he was a bit intense, but Artie just always told himself that he was a passionate person.

“Hey,” said Artie with a smile as he shook both of the Potter brother’s hands. “Here to pick up you’re… sister?”

“Yeah,” said Al, as the three of them watched the barrier, “thought we would give mum and dad the break.”

“That,” said James with a large grin, “and we thought that we would have some nice Potter sibling bonding.”

Al rolled his eyes, and Artie smiled, obviously this had all been James’ idea.

“Sounds nice,” said Artie as a flash of red hair caught his attention. He watched the barrier and frowned when he saw it was Hugo and Louis, two of Molly’s younger cousins. He was actually quite happy that he no longer had to share a common room with Hugo, the kid was a bit crazy.

“Ah,” said James, grabbing Al’s arm, “there’s Lily, see ya around Artie.”

Artie waved at them as they went to bombard their younger sister, he smiled as he watched James hug and pick up his little sister, before the three of them disappeared into the crowd.

Artie waited, his flowers still in hand as the last few students came out of the barrier. He sighed as he walked over and put his hand on the barrier, it was completely solid. He had either missed Molly, or she had never come out.

He walked out of the train station and went around to the side alley and apparated to Molly’s house. He wanted to see her, wanted to be near her.

~`~

Molly pushed the food around on her plate, her stomach was turning and tossing. She had seen Artie at King’s Cross and had apparated home, instead of face him.

He had even brought her flowers, a whole bouquet of yellow primroses, her favorite. She couldn’t bring herself to face him after that, couldn’t make herself tell him what she needed to.

That she had pulled Zachary Wakes, her fellow Head Boy, into a broom closet and had kissed him. She had regretted it the second that he had put his hands on her hips and tried to pull her closer. She had been so embarrassed in herself, but she had missed Artie.

She had missed his letters and calls, missed his good morning texts that came an hour after she woke up and good night texts that came long after she went to bed. She had been hoping that he would’ve been waiting for her at the gates at the last Hogsmade weekend two weeks ago, but he hadn’t been there.

“Are you not hungry Molly?” asked Audrey as Molly continued to push her food around.

“Not really,” she told her, not bothering to look up from her plate. “I think I’m just going to go to bed.”

“Alright Love,” said Audrey as Molly got up and took her plate to the sink. She walked back into the dining room and hugged her mother before she headed upstairs.

Molly crawled into bed and curled up under the covers. She wished that Lucy was here, instead of at Devon’s house. Their room always seemed too big without her.

_Artie_ : Are you home? Can you come outside?

Molly looked at her phone, as she heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Without thinking, she jumped out of bed and ran down the hall as she heard her mother open the front door.

“Artie!” she yelled, running down the stairs and into his arms. He held her close, with snow still in his hair and his jacket and boots still on, but she didn’t care, he was here.

“Molly,” he whispered, as he pulled away and suddenly she felt very aware of her mum standing just a few feet away. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“If the two of you go out, please be back by eleven,” said Audrey as Molly grabbed her jacket and Artie put his gloves back on.

“Yes mum,” said Molly, as she slipped her boots on and grabbed Artie’s hand, pulling him out the front door.

The second the door closed behind them, Artie kissed her. She felt herself melt into his arms as he held her tightly against him. “I love you,” he whispered as he pulled away and kissed her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Artie,” she said quietly, because she didn’t want to tell him what she needed to. “Let’s go to the diner.”

He nodded and took her hand, the pair of them disapparating away.

Neither of them knowing that this would be the last time they would see each other for three years.


	17. Back to December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie spend some time apart in the aftermath of the baby shower. Molly visiting a cousin to clear her head and Artie being surrounded by the people who always lift him up.

** Chapter Sixteen: Back to December **

By Taylor Swift

_I’d go back to December, turn around and make it all right_

_I’d go back to December, turn around and change my own mind_

Artie opened the door to his and Molly’s flat, it was dark and cold and untouched since he was there that morning. The first thing he did, was turn on the kitchen light and close the window he left open above the sink. Then he made himself a cup of tea, putting in a splash of milk and a single spoonful of sugar, just how Molly took hers.

He sat down on the kitchen floor, his back to one of the cabinets and willed himself to not cry as he drank his tea. Every single part of him, from his feet to his head felt like a live wire, it felt like he had been struck by lightning all over again.

He wiped at his eyes as the emotions of the day hit him in a large wave, because his anger at Molly was becoming sadness and grief for his brother.

Iggy was dead, he had died of an overdose behind a liquor store on the street where he was living. His older brother had run away from him, his problems, and his life, when all he needed to do was ask for help.

Artie took in a very shaky breath and sipped his tea, almost spilling half of it as his hands shook.

He needed Molly.

He needed her to sit beside him and tell him that he was okay, that Iggy wasn’t suffering anymore. He needed her to hold him and run her fingers through his hair, her hands over his shoulders and back, to comfort him. He needed her to tell him all the right things and nothing at all, because Iggy was gone and not coming back.

Just like his father, wherever he had disappeared to, and just like his mother, who was probably with Iggy right now, watching over him.

He didn’t move at the sound of a knock on the door, he couldn’t bring himself to stand up and answer the door. He couldn’t even bring himself to call out that the door was unlocked.

It didn’t seem to matter though, as whoever was on the other side came in anyways.

“I swear on Dumbledore’s grave that if you’re drunk, then I’m going to murder you,” said Lucy as she appeared in front of him. She honestly looked odd with her large stomach poking out of her dress, and she looked angrier than he had ever seen before.

“Wh-what are-“

“Molly asked me to check in with you, see if you made it home, and were okay,” said Lucy in a much more gentle tone than he thought he deserved. He had yelled at her at her own baby shower, in front of all of her family.

“Where?” he asked, feeling his voice break as another wave of emotion hit him. Lucy looked like Molly in all the little ways, they had the same freckles, and nose, and lips, the same shade of red hair, and the same chin and round face. While Lucy had her straight hair and glasses and was now seven weeks short of her due date, the sight of her would always remind him of Molly.

“She’s staying at the shop tonight,” said Lucy with a sigh as she sat down beside him and took his cup of tea, finishing it in one last gulp. “She wanted to give you some time.”

“Devon?” he asked, because every time he had seen Lucy in the last few months, Devon had always been within sight.

“Is at home, he’s still furious with you for yelling at me,” Lucy told him as she set the tea cup on the floor between them.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, not quite looking her in the eyes.

Lucy for her part just smiled, before reaching up and letting her hair out of the braided bun she had put it in. “It’s fine, I was a bit upset at first, but I’ve been called worse. You have every right to tell me to fuck off,” she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve just always been very defensive of Molly. She’s my sister, my best friend, and for so long I’ve been worried that I would lose her.”

“I know,” said Artie, because if anyone really had any clue what he was going through, even if she didn’t lose her sister, it was Lucy. “I just really can’t believe that she didn’t tell me about this though.”

“I don’t know why she didn’t tell you Artie,” said Lucy, as she took his hand in hers and held on. “But I know how she thinks, she probably wanted to wait until the right time and the right place. She told me that you didn’t really want to talk about Iggy before, so she probably wanted to wait for you to talk to her. As horrible as it sounds, I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

“I wouldn’t have,” said Artie as Lucy squeezed his hand softly. “I wouldn’t have kept something that big from her, we promised each other no secrets.”

“It doesn’t always work like that Artie,” said Lucy and he looked over at her. “Merlin, do you know how much I want to tell Devon that his older sisters are both horrible to me. I know that it would break his heart and that’s why I keep it to myself.”

“I feel like your feud with Evelynn and Cara is not as big of a deal as knowing that my brother was dead for the last four months and not telling me,” Artie told her and she shrugged.

“Your right,” said Lucy, surprising him, “but that’s just lightest of the things I’ve kept from Devon. He doesn’t need to know everything.”

“Lucy,” said Artie, looking at her as she pulled his hand to rest on her stomach, where the baby was kicking. “I feel like you should tell him whatever your keeping from him.”

“He doesn’t need to know that this is the first baby I’ve been able to keep,” she whispered as she let go of his hand. “I know it will break him to know that I’ve miscarried twice before this one.”

“Twice?” said Artie as he pulled his hand away. “Lucy I-“

“You’re the first person I’ve ever told,” she said as she wiped at her eyes. “Not even Molly knows.”

“Is this why you got married at seventeen?” Artie asked her, because he always thought that something was off whenever he remembered Lucy and Devon’s wedding.

“It was the reason why I said yes when he asked,” said Lucy, as she sat up slightly and readjusted herself. “But I never had the courage to tell him about it. Then I miscarried and I never had to tell him.”

“Oh Merlin,” mumbled Artie as Lucy sat up again. Artie stood up quickly and helped her to her feet, he shouldn’t have ever had her sit down on the floor with him.

“Please don’t tell him, Artie,” asked Lucy as he led her to the living room. “Or Molly, she would freak out if she knew.”

“Yeah,” agreed Artie, because he knew exactly how Molly would react to this news. “I won’t.”

“Now you have your own secret Artie,” said Lucy, as she took his hand and squeezed it in hers.

“No,” said Artie, as he pulled his hand away, and shook his head, “this is your secret, and you need to tell them. I won’t say anything, but Devon is your husband and Molly is your sister. They deserve to know what you’ve been through.”

“You need to talk to Molly then,” said Lucy as she stood up, “she loves you, and you love her and I know she’s sorry for what she did.”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you Lucy, but I don’t need you telling me how to communicate with my wife,” he told her, and watched as her face went from calm to shock. “I’ll talk to Molly when I’m ready, and when I want to. Thank you for coming round, but you can leave now.”

He didn’t look at her again as she walked away and he didn’t look up as the front door closed behind her. Instead, he went to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey, taking off the top and drinking straight from the bottle.

~`~

Molly opened her eyes, her neck hurt as she picked up her head from the table. The radio was still playing quietly beside her, she didn’t remember moving it, but it was on wizarding station now as she heard an old Weird Sisters song playing.

She sat up slowly and rubbed her neck, trying to get the stiffness out of her limbs. The last time she had fallen asleep at a table like that had been when she had been studying for her NEWTs.

She reached over and shut off the wireless, before standing up and walking into the kitchen. She didn’t stop moving until she heard the coffee machine stop gurgling. Then she poured herself a cup and sat back down at the table, adding sugar until coffee started to taste right.

Molly sighed at the taste of her coffee, of how Artie usually took it.

She wanted to go home, to see him and apologize, but it was too early. She could see the dark sky just outside the window on the other side of the flat, though it started to turn gray as she slowly finished her first cup of coffee.

Without thinking, she hauled herself to her feet and left the flat, the store, and headed down the street. Finnigan’s Bakery didn’t open for at least another hour, but that didn’t mean no one was inside.

“Well this is a familiar sight,” said Mr. Finnigan as Molly stood at the back door in her Weasley sweater and a pair of leggings. “Though it’s been a long time.”

He opened the door for her and grabbed a stool for her to sit on. She sat down as he handed her a large cup of tea and a chocolate almond croissant, her favorite.

“Thank you,” said Molly as Mr. Finnigan pulled up a stool in front of her and sat down. “It’s been a crazy couple of months.”

“I’ve heard,” said Mr. Finnigan and Molly smiled, though she didn’t really feel like it. “Sean told me about the fight you and your husband had yesterday.”

Molly blushed and felt warm in all the wrong places. She didn’t like hearing that Sean was gossiping about her to his family.

“Trust me, Molly, no one in this family will be spreading rumors,” said Mr. Finnigan as the door opened behind them and Veronica walked in, her large stomach taking up more room than both Molly and Mr. Finnigan combined.

“Morning,” said Veronica with a large yawn as she hugged her father. “What’s going on here?”

“Molly was opening the shop early and came round for some breakfast,” said Mr. Finnigan as he pulled away from his daughter at the sound of a timer going off. “I’ll be right back.”

Veronica took her father’s seat and sighed as she held her stomach. Molly could never imagine being in her shoes, being pregnant seemed scary enough, but being pregnant with triplets looked like a nightmare.

“I can’t wait for these three to make their appearance,” said Veronica as she reached over to the prep table beside them and grabbed a rather large muffin from the tin. “I’m sure your sister is feeling the same too.”

“Yeah, she is,” agreed Molly as the door behind her opened again, and in walked Hajari Nott. He glanced at Molly, before handing Veronica a small bag.

“You forgot your lunch and vitamins,” said Hajari as Veronica took the bag, “and don’t forget that we have dinner with my parents tonight.”

“Oh thank you,” said Veronica as she smiled up at Hajari. “I knew I forgot something, but I figured it was something else.”

Hajari smiled and leaned down, kissing Veronica’s cheek, before he nodded to Molly and walked back out the door. Molly looked at Veronica, the girl she had known back in Hogwarts would’ve never had even smiled at Hajari Nott, let alone let him kiss her.

“Can I ask you something?” asked Molly as Veronica looked back at her and nodded. “How did that happen? The two of you together, that is?”

“We got drunk and had a one night stand Molly,” said Veronica, rubbing her stomach with a grimace, “then I found out I was pregnant. I was fully prepared to take care of a baby on my own, all three even when I found out that I was having triplets, but he wouldn’t let me. Hajari, came around every morning and every night with vitamins and books and food, he fought for me and it was your cousin Roxanne who told me I was being stupid. She said that it was obvious that he cared for me and that I should at least try to be on good terms.”

Molly nodded, because that made a lot more sense than any of the rumors she had heard.

“It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed him,” said Veronica with a smile, “I’m a lot more happy with him around than I was before. He takes care of me a lot better than any of my ex’s before him, and I’m excited to have these babies with him.”

“Artie and I got into a bad fight yesterday,” Molly told her, though she was sure Veronica already knew. “And I slept at the shop last night to give him some space, but I don’t know if it was the right thing.”

“I heard about that,” said Veronica, “Anamika told us about it at dinner last night.”

Molly had been prepared to hear her say Roxanne, and was surprised instead to hear Louis’ wife Mia’s name. But it did make sense for Veronica to be around a baby, to want to get used to being around a newborn.

“How are they?” asked Molly, because she still hadn’t gone to see baby Navya, even though she told everyone she would.

“Tired,” answered Veronica as she readjusted herself on the stool. “Though your cousin seems to have a better handled on Navya than I thought. Apparently he stays home with her all day and Mia goes to work.”

“Well,” said Molly, not really sure if she was surprised or not, Louis had seemed so excited to be a father. “Louis is an artist, he’s always worked from home; I wouldn’t put too much stock into it. He also used to babysit for Victoire quite a bit when he was still in school. He’s good with children, he just doesn’t always like the noise from them.”

Veronica nodded and Molly took a sip of her now cold tea, she needed to go and visit Louis, meet baby Navya. She needed to forgive Mia, needed to see what Louis was up to.

“I hope these three look more like Hajari,” said Veronica as she climbed off of her stool, “though not with his hair, it’s an absolute mess.”

Molly smiled and finished her croissant and tea while Veronica got to work. She always liked sitting in the bakery and watching Rose decorate the cakes. It was always wonderful to watch cake and frosting turn into something amazing.

Once Mason and Sean came in and got started making the bread for the day, Molly made her leave. She would make sure to come around later and pay for her food, maybe even pick up something to bring home as a peace offering for Artie.

“Molly!” called Mr. Finnigan as she walked down the steps from the back door of the bakery. She turned her head to see him standing in the doorway, a box in his hands. “Take these with you, their too ugly to sell, but taste fine.”

Molly took the box and walked back to the shop, she needed to get dressed and ready for the day, needed to make a decision.

~`~

Artie opened his eyes, his head was pounding and his mouth felt like it was fire. He barely took in the empty bottle of Firewhiskey on the coffee table in front of him, as he slowly sat up. He hadn’t fallen asleep on the couch in so long, not since that first night with Molly.

He got to his feet and stumbled back down onto the couch, he had thought that he was just hungover, but the truth was, he was still drunk. He could feel it in his limbs and in the fogginess in his head. He laid back down and let his head slowly clear up as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Fuck me,” he mumbled to himself, as he sat up again. The pounding was getting worse and he needed some water. “Merlin fuck this.”

“Here dumbass,” said James handing him a glass of water and a hangover potion. Artie knocked back the potion and chased it down with the water, feeling his head clear, but his throat was still dry. “You really fucked it up.”

“What are you doing here?” asked Artie as James sat down beside him.

“Evan texted me last night, then this morning I got a call from Lucy,” said James as he ran his hand through his hair, “I figured I needed to come around and see if you did something stupid, which seeing the state you’re in now...”

“Thanks,” mumbled Artie as James tapped his water glass and it filled back up. “I don’t know what went wrong.”

“You screamed bloody murder at her in the middle of a baby shower,” said James and Artie nodded. “I had half a mind to kick you out myself.”

“You should’ve,” said Artie, he felt more embarrassed now than he had before. He shouldn’t have reacted how he did, but Molly had done the one thing they promised each other not to do.

“I don’t blame her for not telling you though,” said James and Artie knew he looked confused. “I wouldn’t have told you, it should’ve been the Auror that signed off on the report.”

“What?” asked Artie, staring at James.

“The Auror who signed off on the report, the death certificate,” said James slowly, “they should’ve told you about his death. That’s what their supposed to do, dad’s made plenty of house calls over the years.”

“How do I find out who signed off on the death certificate?” asked Artie, and James rolled his eyes.

“It should be on the certificate, you have it right?”

Artie looked around the living room, and then went to the kitchen, not finding the paper, the folder he was sure he had grabbed. He was so sure that he had picked up the folder when he left the flat over the shop yesterday.

Maybe he hadn’t.

“We can always go to the Ministry,” called James from the living room, “though it might be better if you patch things up with Molly first.”

“I’m not ready to talk to her yet,” Artie told him as he sat back down on the couch, honestly he didn’t feel up to going to the Ministry. He just wanted a burger, or maybe some pizza, something greasy and filling.

“You know that she’s sorry,” said James as he stretched out and put his feet on the coffee table. “It’s not like you to be so angry.”

“What if it was Al who was dead?” asked Artie, glaring at James, he was so tired of everyone telling him what to do about Molly. “Or Lily? Would you be sorry if Katie kept a secret like that from you?”

“Yes,” said James, without batting an eye, “I love Katie, I love my siblings, but I would forgive her.”

“I love Molly,” said Artie, putting his head back into the cushions, “but this feels just as bad as when she told me that she cheated on me.”

“She kissed another guy, I don’t think that’s really cheating on you Artie,” said James and Artie was ready to throw him out. “She regretted it anyways.”

“I know that she’s your cousin,” said Artie sitting up straight, he was taller than James, though only by an inch or two. “But can you be on my side for this? I’m upset and I feel like no one cares about my feelings in this. I’m not the one who _lied_ to her, she was the one who lied to _me_.”

“You notice that everyone has come to you right?” asked James as he got up off the couch. “Evan, Lucy, me, we’ve all come to you, no one’s seen Molly since the baby shower yesterday.”

“What?” asked Artie, because he was sure that Lucy had to of visited Molly last night.

“Yeah, Lucy went around to see her this morning and she wasn’t there. No note, no message, and she isn’t picking up her phone apparently,” said James as he checked his own phone. “Yeah, still nothing even now.”

Artie picked up his phone from the coffee table and scrolled through his notifications and saw that most of the team had messaged him. All of them were asking if he was okay and if he needed any support.

It was heartwarming that they cared that much about him.

But he also had no messages from Molly.

“Where would she have gone though?” asked Artie, turning to look up at James, who just shrugged.

“No clue.”

~`~

Molly appeared in front of a small cottage, she really had to give Mia credit where credit was due. The house was perfect for her and Louis, small and cozy and right by the water, just how Louis liked it.

She knocked on the front door and waited, she knew that if she opened the door, then Louis would flip out. She could hear movement on the other side, then the door opened.

Louis stood on the other side, with his daughter in a sling against his chest. He had paint in his hair and across his forehead, he was just in his boxers and looked exhausted. Absolutely nothing about this surprised Molly, Louis was always like this.

“Molly,” he said quietly, as he took a step back, “come in.”

Molly followed after him, closing the door as quietly as she could. She was always quiet around Louis, as that was what he liked and felt comfortable with, but now she didn’t want to wake up his daughter.

“Tea?” asked Louis as Molly followed him into the kitchen. He pulled out one of the counter chairs for her while he started making tea for the pair of them. Molly climbed up into the chair and pulled off her jacket, putting it on the back of her chair.

“How have you been Louis?” asked Molly as Louis pulled Navya out of her sling and handed her over to Molly.

Molly smiled down at the little girl, she looked like Mia, but with Louis’ freckles and pointy chin. She had dark curly hair and brown eyes and chubby cheeks, she smiled up at Molly with Mia’s smile and Molly felt her heart skip a beat.

Navya was adorable and she should’ve come out to meet her sooner.

“Tired,” said Louis as he set a tea cup in front of her and sat down in the seat beside her. “She’s more of a handful than we thought.”

“No siblings for a while then?” asked Molly as she played with Navya’s hair.

“Oh no,” said Louis setting his tea cup down. “I don’t think we’ll be having another baby for a while.”

“We were all surprised that you had this one so quickly,” said Molly, knowing that Louis already knew this. Hugo had laughed himself silly when Louis and Mia had told everyone they were pregnant, the rest of the family hadn’t been as obvious, but they had still been surprised. Louis and Mia had eloped with only four witnesses, Hugo and Dominique for Louis and two of Mia’s sisters, Mini and Vee.

“Mia wanted a baby,” said Louis, as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. “And I wanted her to be happy.”

“Did you want a baby?” asked Molly, because she had honestly been worried about Louis and if he wanted Navya at all.

“I was really scared at first,” said Louis quietly, slowly as he looked at Navya in Molly’s arms. “But when Mia started getting big and I could see and feel her through her stomach, it was really exciting. Then she was here, and everything changed from there… I don’t think I loved anyone more than I love Navya.”

Molly nodded as Navya made a high pitch noise and began waving her arms, Louis stood up and went to the fridge, grabbing out a bottle and tapping it with his wand. He held out his hands to take his daughter, and Molly didn’t argue, she had been around enough babies to recognize a full on meltdown.

“ _Ma douce petite fill_ _e_ ,” whispered Louis as he held his daughter and Molly suddenly felt like she was invading a private moment.

Navya calmed down as Louis started to bottle feed her, she couldn’t help but notice how tired and weary he looked. Being home with the baby all the time must had been hard on him.

“She’s the most perfect person in my life,” said Louis, looking up at Molly, there was a softness in his eyes that she had never seen before. She had honestly thought that he would be lost with getting married and having a baby at nineteen. As she honestly couldn’t have done that herself.

“Mia agree with that?” asked Molly, as they both looked down at Navya.

“Oh yes,” said Louis with a big smile, “she told me the other day that she would kill me if she had to choose between the two of us. She loves Navya more than I think she loves me, but I told her the same last night.”

Molly smiled, “at least you agree on that.”

“What about you?” asked Louis, looking back down at his daughter. “How is Artie?”

Molly frowned and looked down at her tea cup, she didn’t want to tell Louis, or honestly, anyone about the fight she had with him. She didn’t want to tell Louis, who was her most honest and trusting cousin, about how she lied to her husband for four months.

“I know you heard about yesterday,” said Molly, meeting his eyes for the briefest of seconds, before they both looked away. “I lied to him and I haven’t talked to him since.”

Louis looked at Molly, and she felt small under his gaze. Louis never looked at anyone fully, he always avoided people’s eyes and usually looked at their nose or forehead, except for his wife Mia.

It was a bit unnerving, as she wasn’t used to it.

“I thought that Lily had just been making things up,” said Louis, dropping his gaze to his daughter. “Mia heard it from her, we got our times mixed up and arrived as everyone was leaving yesterday.”

Molly sighed, this was obviously her punishment for gossiping, having her whole family gossip about her to everyone. Part of her wasn’t surprised to hear her cousins talking about her, but the rest of her was a little hurt, this was her marriage falling apart.

“Oh,” said Molly, not really knowing how to react to this news, “is everyone talking about me?”

“I don’t know, Lily told me, I figured I would’ve heard something from Dominique if it was really bad,” said Louis as he put Navya on his shoulder and patted her back to burp her.

“Dominique didn’t come yesterday, she had a class or interview or some excuse,” Molly told him, she hadn’t been surprised when she got Dominique’s letter that morning. Dominique avoided most family events that weren’t Sunday night dinner.

“She just didn’t want to come,” said Louis as Navya let out a sudden loud burp.

Molly watched as Louis pulled her away and cradled her in his arms, there was a softness to him that had to be all Mia’s influence. She had seen Louis with children before, he had three nephews and a niece, he had held babies before and babysat his family, but he had never _looked_ at them like he was watching his daughter.

“I know,” said Molly as she took a sip of her now cold tea. “She lives just down the street from the shop and we never see her anymore.”

“She’s good at that,” said Louis as he rocked Navya. “I haven’t seen her since we brought home Navya.”

“That’s because no one has seen you since Navya was born.”

Louis smiled, and Molly knew that he was honestly enjoying making the family come to him. Weasley’s loved babies, but Louis didn’t like the noise of the family, so everyone knew that if they wanted to see his baby, then they needed to come out and see him.

Louis and Mia lived down by the coast, in a small cottage that they loved. Molly had been there once when they had bought the house, but that was it. It was far enough away from everyone else, that it took the thought and energy to come out to them.

Which was just how Louis liked it.

“Really?” asked Louis, with more emotion than Molly expected. “Mia’s mum insisted on staying with us for the first month that she was home, and everyone in the family and Mia’s family has been in and out of our house the last four months. I honestly almost didn’t let you in when I saw the red hair, but I knew that you haven’t come around yet.”

He handed over Navya, who was now asleep, and Molly cradled her in her arms. She was a bit heavier than she expected, but she had been a big baby when she was born.

“Sorry,” said Molly looking up from Navya’s serene face. “I was angry at Mia about the wedding announcement she wrote.”

“She wrote something better, but her editor didn’t like it, wanted something more sensational, she was quite upset about it too,” said Louis as he stood up and started to make them another round of tea. “She wanted the last thing she wrote before Navya came to us to be good and heartwarming. She actually wrote about how the two of you broke up and came back together, but with Artie being a Quidditch player on a good team, the _Prophet_ wanted to knock down Puddlemere with a scandal.”

“It was barely a scandal,” said Molly, wanting to throw her hands in the air. “We got married, nothing else.”

“You were drunk, and had been broken up for three years,” said Louis, with a shrug. “I wouldn’t put too much stock into it.”

Molly wanted to argue, but she looked at Louis and saw how tired he was. It wasn’t worth it anyways, Louis didn’t care, the same time she got married, Louis was about to have his daughter.

“Did you ever tell your parents that you and Mia got married?” asked Molly, because obviously the whole family knew now that they got married, but it was only because Louis had told them the same time that he announced Mia’s pregnancy. Though his parents hadn’t been around at the time of his announcement.

“About a month or two after Navya was born,” said Louis as he set another cup of tea down in front of her. “Maman asked if we were going to because of Navya, but I thought that Dominique and Hugo would’ve told everyone.

“I only hear about your wedding from Dominique after you told everyone that Mia was pregnant,” Molly told him, Dominique to her credit had brushed it off like it was nothing. No one had been surprised that Louis choose to have a quiet ceremony, though Lucy had been quite hurt about not being invited, as Louis had chosen Hugo over her.

“I figured that between her and Hugo everyone would’ve known by then,” said Louis with a shrug. “I also didn’t figure that anyone would want to come, I had a hard enough time getting Dominique and Hugo to come.”

“Really?” asked Molly, because she would’ve tried to come if she could’ve, she and Louis weren’t the closest, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about him.

“Yeah,” he said, not sounding too off put, “Mia only asked her sisters about an hour before we went to the Ministry.”

“How casual,” noted Molly, as Navya moved in her arms, trying to rollover.

“Mia made me wear shoes, even though I didn’t want to,” said Louis, wrinkling his nose at the memory. “She also wouldn’t let me wear my shorts, but I wouldn’t have changed it.”

“No?”

“No, it was perfect,” said Louis with a large smile, “Mia looked so pretty and we came home and she let me paint her in her wedding dress.”

He took Navya from Molly and put her in the sling on his chest, before leading Molly into the living room. Above the mantel, was a framed picture of Mia in a red and gold sundress sitting on a blanket in where Molly’s assumed was their garden. Above that portrait was another of Mia, sitting on the same blanket, but with her hands on her pregnant stomach. Beside the pictures of Mia was a large family portrait of Mia, Louis, and Navya, who couldn’t be older than a few weeks.

“I just finished the three of us a week ago,” said Louis, as he gestured to the family portrait, “I had to paint it from a photo that Mia’s sister took of us after we brought home Navya.”

“You all look really happy,” said Molly, because they did. She could see the look of pure love on Louis’ face in the portrait he had painted, and Mia was smiling as if nothing in the world could go wrong.

“It was before we realized how hard it was going to be without Mia’s mum around to help,” said Louis, as he ran his fingers through Navya’s dark hair. “But I think we’ve been doing a good job. Hajari says that she’s healthy and doing well and that’s all we care about.”

Molly nodded, as she looked over at Louis, he was smiling down at his daughter, just as he was in the portrait he had painted. She felt her heart hurt as she looked back up at the portrait, because Louis had his own slice of a perfect family, which is what she ruined with Artie.

“I need to go Louis,” said Molly, walking back into the kitchen to grab her jacket.

“Thanks for coming around Molly,” said Louis from the living room entrance. Molly gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled down at Navya’s sleeping face.

“Thank you for having me,” she told him, before she headed to the front door, opening and closing it as quietly as she could.

She needed to talk to Artie.

~`~

Artie took a deep breath as he stood in the center of the pitch, his broom gripped tightly in one hand. Above him, James, Micah, and Mattie were doing lazy circles in the air, passing the Quaffle to one another. It was weird for any of them to want to do extra practice, on a Sunday of all days, but James had told that it would keep his mind off of Molly.

He had no idea where she would’ve gone, his first thought had been of Lucy and Devon’s tiny flat, but he didn’t really want to face Lucy again. She had told him too much last night, tried to trick him into keeping a secret from Devon, from Molly.

The next time he saw Devon, he would tell him about Lucy’s miscarriages, if she still hadn’t told him.

“Are you going to stand there forever Jacobs?” called down Mattie, or Micah, it was hard to tell who was who from so far away. Artie ignored them as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Still no messages from Molly, no calls, nothing.

He mounted his broom and kicked off hard, harder than he meant to as he almost fell off the back. He righted himself as he came to level with the Chasers.

“You good there mate?” asked Mattie as he passed the Quaffle to James. Artie ignored him as he received the ball from James and reversed passed it back to him.

“I’m fine,” he told him as they hovered in the air.

Mattie nodded, but Artie knew that he didn’t believe him. They didn’t talk as they warmed up, the air had more of a chill to it than yesterday. Once they all felt loose and calm, Artie flew over to the goal hoops and blocked the goals that the Chasers threw at him.

It felt good to be able to focus on guarding the hoops, to watch James, Micah, and Mattie’s faces as he blocked goal after goal. The three of them were considered the best Chaser trio in the League, but Artie had been playing with them long enough to know how to counter their attacks.

“Damnit Artie!” yelled Micah, as Artie threw the Quaffle to James, who ran it back down to the center of the pitch. “Give us a chance.”

Artie smiled for the first time since the morning before, “gotta just try a bit harder!”

It was actually nice to practice, it didn’t give him any time to think about Iggy or Molly. He only had to focus on the three people coming at him, over and over again.

After what felt like another ten minutes, though he knew it was more than an hour, they decided to cool down with a few laps, which quickly turned into a race between the four of them.

“Oi! You lot are supposed to be cooling down!” yelled Oliver from down on the ground, Ollie Jay at his side like always.

“Damn,” muttered James as he slowed his pace, and Artie laughed.

After a few more cool down laps, the four of them landed in front of Oliver and his youngest son.

“What are you lot even doing here?” asked Oliver, his arms crossed over his chest. “I can barely get you to come to practice on time, let alone do extra.”

Artie frowned, this was true of him about six months ago, but since he and Molly moved in together, he hadn’t been late for a practice or game since.

“Just thought we would have a bit of fun, dad,” said Mattie with a roll of his eyes. “We didn’t have a game yesterday.”

“Well it’s good to know that the four of you are dedicated to the game,” said Oliver as he looked at the four of them. Artie felt small under his gaze, even though Oliver was about the same height as him. Oliver was his coach though, he was his mentor and Artie had even once had a poster of Oliver in his childhood bedroom. “Next time bring Louie out with you.”

“We were trying to distract Artie more than practice dad,” said Micah and Artie rolled his eyes.

“Really?” said Artie, sending the twins a dirty look, “I don’t need to be babysat.”

“I would believe that if Evan hadn’t called us this morning,” said Mattie, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Or if James hadn’t texted us that you were still drunk this afternoon.”

“Artie,” said Oliver and Artie wanted nothing more than to go back up into the air. “What the fuck happened?”

Artie looked at him, then Ollie Jay who was staring at him with the same light eyes as Oliver’s. The resemblance was a bit unnerving, as none of the other Wood children looked as much like Oliver as his youngest son.

“I just found out that my brother is dead,” Artie told him, dropping his eyes to the ground. Just saying the words, made him feel sad, made his heart drop out of his stomach.

He wanted Molly.

Oliver was so quiet, that Artie had to look up just to see if he was still breathing.

“I’m sorry Artie,” said Oliver, as Artie met his gaze, “I can’t imagine how you feel.”

“Thank you,” said Artie as Oliver nodded.

“Well, the four of you need to go hit the showers, then Artie come around to my office before you leave. I need to talk to you about something,” said Oliver and Artie felt a shiver go down his spine.

Artie nodded and the four of them walked over to the locker rooms, showering and get changed back into their street clothes. He thanked James, Micah, and Mattie for helping keep him distracted, before he walked through the stadium to Oliver’s office.

The coach’s office was connected to the manager’s office, but Katie wasn’t there, her door closed off to the rest of the office. Oliver kept his desk clean and organized with a lot of pictures on the edges, with such a large family, Artie wasn’t very surprised. Ollie sat in one of the two chairs on the other side of Oliver’s desk, studying an old playbook.

“Sit down Artie,” said Oliver as Artie walked in. He sat down in the seat beside Ollie and looked up at Oliver.

“What’s up coach?” asked Artie, he felt nervous, he couldn’t remember the last time he had been called into Oliver’s office.

“I was going to wait until after practice tomorrow, but by the sounds of it, you need some good news,” said Oliver, as he reached forward with a letter in his hand. “This is from Marcus Finnley.”

Artie took the letter and opened it, his eyes quickly scanning the letter.

“Are you serious?” asked Artie, as he looked up at Oliver. “The international team?”

Artie knew that Marcus Finnley was Head Coach of the English International Team, but he had never imagined the possibility of playing for England.

“Yes, their Keeper isn’t going to be able to play in their next game,” said Oliver, with a smile. “Finnley saw you play against Kenmare, and asked if he could borrow you for their game in Germany.”

Artie really didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know how to answer, he had always wanted to play for England. It was what anyone in the League wanted, playing for an international team was the farthest any Quidditch player could go.

“If you want to do this,” said Oliver, leaning forward slightly, “then tell me right now. Don’t worry about the team, think about your own future.”

Artie nodded and looked back down at the letter in his hands. He had the opportunity to play for his dream team.

“I want to go,” Artie told Oliver, putting the letter back on the desk. “I can’t believe I get to play for England.”

“I’ll let Finnley know,” said Oliver with a large smile. “You deserve this Arthur, after your perfect game the other day, you deserve a better reward than being made captain.”

Artie smiled, feeling light hearted, he honestly didn’t know how he was supposed to feel anymore. He was still angry at Molly, still sad about his brother, and now he was happy about this news.

“Take the day off tomorrow,” said Oliver as he stood up from behind his desk. “I’ll write to Finnley and let him get in touch with you. Don’t worry about the game this weekend.”

“Okay,” said Artie as Oliver shook his hand, his head was all over the place, he honestly didn’t know what to do next.

“Go get some rest Artie, we’ll talk soon,” said Oliver as he led Artie to the office door. Artie walked out into the hallway, his head held high.

He needed to tell Molly.


	18. Lose You To Love Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly and Artie reunite!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: sex

** Chapter Seventeen: Lose You To Love Me **

By Selena Gomez

_And now the chapter is closed and done_

_And now it’s goodbye, it’s goodbye for us_

Molly took a deep breath as she stood outside the door to her and Artie’s flat. Five months ago she sat on her trunk and stared at this door, only to have Artie appear beside her.

“Are you coming in or not?”

Molly turned her head to see Artie standing beside her, with a laundry basket in his arms, just like back in November. He looked exactly the same as yesterday, just the same as the day before that, and the day before then. She felt like it had been year, but it was only twenty-four hours.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, sure that he was still upset with her, still angry with her.

“Well I am,” said Artie opening the door and walking in. Molly took a deep breath and walked in after him.

She hung up her coat in the closet and went into the kitchen to make them a pot of tea. She felt his eyes on her as he came out of the bedroom and leaned against the kitchen counter. Every nerve in her body felt like a live wire, she was ready for him to yell, to scream at her again.

She didn’t expect the silence.

Neither of them said anything, even as Molly poured them both a cup of tea.

“Artie,” she whispered and he held up a hand to silence her.

“Don’t _ever_ not come home again,” he said quietly, as he added sugar to his tea. “I have been so _worried_ about you.”

It was not what she expected, but the well of emotion that hit her sent her into overdrive. She heard herself sob as Artie walked around the counter and held her in his arms. She had missed him so much in the last twenty-four hours that she was surprised she hadn’t cried sooner.

“Shh,” he whispered, petting her hair and rubbing her back. “I’m so sorry Angel.”

“No,” she sobbed, looking up at him, she couldn’t read the emotion on his face. “I should’ve never had kept that from you. I should’ve told you when Scorpius gave me the folder, the second I found out.”

She felt Artie’s arms tighten around her, tears coming to his own eyes. She want to hold him, make him feel better, but she had honestly had a hard time with the news of Iggy’s death.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, pressing his forehead against hers as he broke down. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him softly. She hoped that he could feel everything in that kiss, her forgiveness, her sadness, her love for him.

“Molly,” he whispered, his voice breaking as she kissed his jaw and neck. “I miss him.”

“I know,” she whispered back, before pulling his mouth back to hers. She wanted him so badly, she had missed sleeping beside him and holding him in her arms. She should’ve come home last night, should’ve been brave like what everyone always thought of her.

Artie picked her up and turned them around to set her on the counter, as she kissed him again. She wasn’t forgiven, that she was sure about, she gasped as he kissed her ear and trailed his lips down her jaw.

“I love you,” she told him, holding his face in her hands. “I promise never to keep anything from you again.”

“I know,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers again. “I promise never to yell at you like that.”

Molly smiled weakly, before letting him kiss her again, his mouth felt so good against hers, so familiar. She pulled him closer, her hands grabbing his shirt and pulling it off over his head. She giggled as he bit her neck and put his hand up her sweater, pushing the fabric up her stomach.

“I missed that,” he whispered as he kissed her earlobe again.

“I want you,” she whispered, as he pushed her sweater up over her head, letting it join his shirt on the floor.

Artie’s hands moved up her back and unclasped her bra, pulling it off before he pushed her farther onto the counter, climbing up after her. She unbuckled his jeans as he straddled her hips, his mouth moving over her body.

“How?” Artie asked as he looked down at her belt, his own jeans were pushed down to his knees and Molly couldn’t help but giggle at the confused look on his face.

“It’s just a belt Artie,” she teased as she made quick work of her belt and let him pull her pants off. Both of their pairs of jeans falling to the floor as Artie leaned back down and kissed her.

Molly closed her eyes as he pulled her panties off and spread her legs open. She let out a sigh as one of his fingers moved between her legs, all of the tension in her body seemed to stand on end as pleasure started to flood through her veins.

“Artie,” she gasped his name as he added a second finger, his lips moved over her body, trailing from her stomach up her chest and to her neck, before moving back down. She grabbed his hair as he pulled one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking softly.

She could feel her breathing becoming shallow as he added another finger to the tension between her legs. Her whole body was trembling, as she came with his mouth on her, his fingers stilling inside of her.

“Fuck,” mumbled Artie and Molly giggled as she pushed his boxers off in one smooth motion.

“Please?” she asked him, bringing his face to hers, he smiled against her lips as she kissed him.

Molly let out a low moan as Artie slowly pushed into her. She felt the tension in her body come back as he started moving slowly. “Artie,” she whined as she moved her hips against his.

The kitchen counter wasn’t the most comfortable place to have sex, but this wasn’t the first time for them. Molly arched her back off the counter and into Artie’s body as he kissed her. His mouth moving over her jaw, her neck, her shoulders, and chest.

She brought his mouth back to hers as she came with him, both of them moving together, until they both couldn’t anymore. Artie climbed off of her and jumped off the counter, while Molly slowly sat up, still panting.

“Damnit,” said Artie as he put his hands on the counter, his chest heaving as he stared at Molly with lustful eyes. “That’s not how I planned this.”

Molly snorted and dissolved into a fit of giggles as Artie grabbed her waist and pulled her close, his lips going to her jaw. She let out a sigh as the giggles disappeared, and she kissed him.

“Not what I planned at all,” Molly whispered into his mouth as she held him close. “But I’m not upset.”

“Me either,” agreed Artie, as he pulled away from her, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I love you, I don’t want to ever keep anything from you.”

Molly kissed him and rested her forehead against his. “I promise I’ll never lie to you again.”

~`~

Artie sighed as Molly ran her fingers through his hair, softly scratching his head. He swore that her hands were like magic, she always knew exactly what to do to calm him down.

“That feel good Baby?” asked Molly as Artie closed his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to the bare skin of her stomach. She had put her underwear back on and that was it, something that he wasn’t going to complain about.

“Yes,” he moaned, tucking himself closer to her.

“I want to talk to you about something,” she said as she put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it softly.

“Yeah,” he mumbled as he looked up at her, he missed her so much in the last day and being upset had taken all of his energy.

“I want to have a memorial service for Iggy,” said Molly and Artie pulled away, sitting up. “It’s the reason why I wanted to wait to tell you. I had thought that after the season was over, we would have time to do something.”

Artie stared at her, she looked so nervous, so unlike herself. “I feel like such a dick now.”

Not that he hadn’t felt bad for yelling at her in the first place, but now that he understood why she kept this from him….

“No, I deserved it,” said Molly and Artie shook his head.

“No you didn’t,” said Artie, as he reached forward and held her face in his hands. She looked so small and so nervous and so unlike the Molly he knew. “I should have never said what I did to you. Especially in front of your family, I’m sure they think I’m insane now.”

“They don’t,” said Molly, tucking her head into his neck and wrapping her arms around his chest. “That honestly wasn’t the worst fight that I’ve seen at the Burrow, that wasn’t even the worst fight in the last year.”

“Your dad and Uncle Bill?” asked Artie, as he knew how well Molly’s father and uncle got along.

“Actually,” said Molly as she closed her eyes, “it was mum and Uncle Bill, he gets under her nerves too. It’s a wonder how Lucy, Dominique, and I were ever close growing up.”

“It’s a wonder how the three of you get along now,” said Artie, as Molly and Lucy usually talked about Dominique when they had nothing else to talk about. It wasn’t often, but Artie and Devon had come used to ignoring them when they complained about their cousins.

They shared a good amount of abuse about James too, but Artie was used to that also.

“We love her, we’ve just also grown apart some,” said Molly, offhandedly, “we’re not teenagers anymore.”

Artie rolled his eyes, Molly, Lucy, and Dominique were twenty years old, they were barely older than teenagers. But he still knew what they meant, it was like him and Maggie, they grew apart when they stopped seeing each other every day at school.

He kissed the top of Molly’s head, as there was a tapping on the window. The pair of them looked up to see a rather large barn owl tapping it’s beak on the window.

“I got it,” said Molly, jumping off the couch and walking to the window. Artie stared as her hips swayed as she hurried to take the letter tied to the owl’s foot. She gasped as she opened the window and the cold air hit her skin, covering her in goosebumps.

Artie smiled as Molly took the letter and quickly closed the window sitting back down beside him and tucking into his side. “It’s for you.”

Artie opened the envelope, barely glancing at his own name on the address and reading the letter.

_Dear Mr. Arthur Jacobs,_

_I am very pleased to hear that you will be joining the English International Quidditch Team for our game against Germany in Berlin on March 24 th. Our current Keeper, Jeremy Barns is out of play with a minor shoulder injury and you will be doing us a great service. _

_We expect to see you Tuesday morning at 7 AM for practice. A word of warning, we do not accept late arrivals, if you wish to play, we recommend showing up at least five minutes early to get changed and up in the air._

_We will be departing for Germany on the 22 nd of March at 10 AM. You are permitted one guest to come with the team to Berlin and they will be welcomed to sit in the coaches box. Please let me know if you will need the extra visa by the 18th. _

_I look forward to working with you these next few weeks, if all goes well, they’re may be a position for you in the summer season._

_Sincerely,_

_Marcus Finnley_

_PS: I was very impressed by your performance during the Puddlemere/Kenmare game, a perfect performance is very impressive, especially against such a high ranked team._

Artie sat up straight, jostling Molly as she started to doze off against his shoulder. She slowly blinked her eyes, before looking up at him, sleep in her eyes.

“What’s goin’ on?” she mumbled as she glanced at his letter. Artie leaned forward slightly and set it down on the coffee table as Molly rubbed her eyes. He glanced at his watch, it was time for bed.

“I got asked to practice with the English team,” Artie told her, as she stared at him.

“Congratulations,” Molly told him, smiling up at him. “Are you starting with them after the season or sooner?”

“Tuesday,” said Artie, as he scanned back over the letter. “And I’ll play with them in Berlin in a few weeks.”

“What?” asked Molly, suddenly sounding more awake than she had before. She sat up and looked at him with tired eyes. “Berlin?”

“Yes, we’re going to Berlin,” Artie told her, it was honestly a great opportunity for both of them. A break away from everyone, just them together, having fun.

“You mean,” said Molly softly, putting space between them. “That _you_ are going to Berlin.”

“Molly,” said Artie, staring at her, what was so confusing about this. “I want you to come with me, you’ve been my good luck charm.”

“Artie,” said Molly, and he could definitely feel the space between them. “I can’t just go with you to Berlin.”

Artie stayed quiet, he couldn’t believe that she seriously didn’t want to come and support him.

“I _have_ to be at the shop this month,” Molly started to explain in a rush of words. “Lucy is going on maternity leave in April and we have to be prepared to be gone for the first week of next month. I really can’t pick up everything and go to Berlin with you at the end of the month.”

“It’s only for a few days,” Artie told her, as he reached forward to her. “The twenty-second through the twenty-fourth, that’s a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and we’ll be back in the morning on that Thursday.”

“I hear you,” said Molly, lacing her fingers through his, “but I can’t go, not that close to the end of the month. I’ll need to get the store ready for inventory and to be closed the week after. We’ll be going away for the beach trip that whole next week.”

Artie sighed, he had forgot all about the stupid Weasley family beach trip. The family rented a large beach house and stayed there for the week, it was a tradition that Molly’s parents had started the year they got married.

Molly wouldn’t miss it for anything.

“This is a chance for us to be away from your family Molly,” said Artie, as he pulled his hand out of hers. “Not even James will be there.”

“I get that Artie,” said Molly, crawling into his lap, “but I _can’t_ go, as much as I want to, I can’t go with you.”

“Fine then,” said Artie, pushing her off of his lap and heading to the bedroom. “I’ll just go to Germany by myself!”

~`~

Molly winced at the sound of the bedroom door slamming and sighed as she sat on the couch. She really wasn’t looking forward to another night of uneven sleep, she was exhausted from her early morning and her late night.

She snatched the letter off of the coffee table and felt her heart flip over in her chest. She had expected that Oliver had written the letter, but it was actually Marcus Finnley, Head Coach of England’s International Team, who had written him. She was sure that it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

She heard a door open and close, and then Artie reappeared in front of her.

“Can you try?” he asked, he looked calmer now with his glasses on and his hair wet. She hadn’t heard the shower, but it was possible that he had just run his head under the tap.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” she told him, as Artie threw his hands up in the air and sighed.

“Yeah, sure,” said Artie sounding even more angry than before.

Molly sighed and followed after him as he went back to the bedroom, he started pacing in front of the bed, walking over their clothes on the floor. “Artie stop this,” she ordered him, but he kept up his pacing. “You know that I can’t promise anything with Lucy so close to her due date.”

“It’s only three days Molly,” said Artie stopping in front of her. “I need you there.”

“You’ve been playing Quidditch longer than we’ve known each other,” Molly told him, taking his hands in her own. “You won’t get struck by lightning again.”

Artie pushed her hands away and sat down on the bed, running his hands through his hair, before grabbing his shoulder. “I want you there in case I get hurt again.”

Molly sighed and sat down beside him, resting her head on his hands. “That was the scariest thing I ever experienced.”

“Molly,” whispered Artie softly, “I watched you get poisoned by chemo and almost die.”

“Honestly,” said Molly taking her head off of his shoulder and look at him, “I don’t remember any of that.”

But she did remember her heart stopping as he fell out of the sky, seeing him unconscious on the medic’s table, and then his broken body and face. She remembered watching him not be able to do the things he loved, not being able to fly, not being able to cook, not being able to move around and be happy.

“Please come with me?” whispered Artie, before his lips brushed against her forehead. “Keep me safe, Angel.”

“Please don’t get angry with me?” asked Molly, as he pulled away from her, “but I can’t, and it’s breaking my heart. I love you, I want to see you play, and I’m sorry.”

Artie let out a sigh that made her heart feel like it was breaking all over again. He had to understand how stressed out she was at the thought of running the store all by herself. How sad she was that she wouldn’t be able to cheer him on. He had to understand the pain, the sadness, and the fear of being apart from him.

He didn’t answer her, instead he pushed her back into the bed and straddled her hips as he had done earlier. His kiss and the ones that followed didn’t feel the same though, there was something sad, broken and hollow about them.

Molly pushed the thought aside as he pulled her panties off and put his mouth between her legs.

This time though, she didn’t get the same spark of happiness when she came for him.

~`~

Artie stared at Molly’s sleeping form, she looked so peaceful, so calm while she slept.

He climbed out of their bed and walked to the kitchen, he went straight to the cabinet over the sink and pulled out the envelope he had stored there five months ago. Inside was divorce papers, already signed with his name.

He just needed Molly’s signature to seal the deal.

Artie didn’t want to get divorce, but the last few days just proved that they weren’t ready for such a committed relationship.

Part of him wanted to just burn the contract, but he knew that it wouldn’t change anything. Molly was always going to lie to him, that much he was sure about. She didn’t love him like how he loved her, not when they were teenagers, and not now either.

He laid out the papers as he read and then reread each of them, making sure that neither of them would get hurt, would lose anything other than one another. He had never put Molly’s name on his lease, nor had they opened a joint account, they weren’t on each other’s insurance, and Molly had never actually changed her last name.

The separation would be easy, they would go back to their lives just as they were six months ago.

Just as they would be the day before their lives were changed for the worst.

Artie wiped at his eyes as he grabbed a pen from the small cup he kept full of them on the counter. Then he found their marriage certificate, and charmed the pen to copy Molly’s looping signature on a scrap of parchment.

_Molly Abigail Weasley_

He wondered if the contract would be nulled if there was water damage on the papers. Because he couldn’t hold back the tears that fell as he signed her name in the four different spots that need to be signed.

Artie wished that he could go back in time, that he could go back to that night and not go to that stupid party.

He felt his heart constrict as he put on his jacket and stuffed the papers back into their envelope, tapping it with his wand to seal as he walked down to the street. He didn’t blink as he dropped the envelope into the mailbox.

He was ready to say goodbye.


	19. Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly does the impossible and Artie makes a visit to Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a really rough weekend and that's why I'm just posting this chapter today. I'm going to try to keep up with my posting schedule of Tuesdays and Saturdays, but the restaurant I work at has just opened to 50% capacity and it's been crazy busy during the weekends. So just look out for posts on Saturdays, but don't expect them with the weather getting warmer in Michigan, I will always post on Tuesdays though, no question about it. 
> 
> Thank you for being understanding, I love seeing the read count and kudos go up and I appreciate each and everyone of them. Love you all!  
> ~Harry

** Chapter Eighteen: Wait **

By Maroon 5

_Just wait, could you call me please?_

_‘Cause I wanna be with you_

Molly opened her eyes, Artie was snoring softly into her hair, with his arms wrapped around her. Seeing him beside her made her heart ache, but instead of sadness, she only felt love for him, want for him.

She rolled over carefully, and kissed him softly, feeling him wake up under her touch.

She was going to talk to Lucy about the possibility of going to Berlin with him. Even though the thought of the two of them, _just_ the two of them, away in Berlin scared her, she wanted to go. She loved watching Artie play, she loved watching him fly, it was such a natural sight that it always warmed her heart.

Because she knew that he was happy.

Artie slowly opened his eyes as Molly kissed him again, and she felt his hand slowly move up her body, until he was holding her face. She smiled against his lips as she put her hands into his hair and deepened the kiss.

When they finally broke away, Artie blinked at her sleepily. “I’m going to talk to Lucy today,” whispered Molly, as she pressed her forehead against his. “I want to go with you to Berlin.”

Artie nodded tired and Molly climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom. She got showered and dressed and kissed Artie one more time before she went to the kitchen and set up the coffee machine for him as she did every morning.

She already knew the next few weeks were going to be crazy for the both of them, with Artie starting practice with the English team on Tuesday. She honestly didn’t know what to expect, other than that the pair of them would be getting up at the same time every morning.

It would be weird, Molly enjoyed her quiet time before she went to the shop, before Artie got out of bed.

“Angel,” called Artie, sleep still thick in his voice as he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry for last night.”

“It’s okay Babe,” she whispered, as he tucked his head into her neck. “I still love you.”

“I love you too,” he mumbled against her neck as he kissed her. “Always.”

Molly smiled and pulled his face back to hers, kissing him softly. She felt her heart flutter as he held her against him, kissing her harder as one hand tangled into her hair.

“Baby I need to go,” she told him as she put a hand on his chest. Her lips grazed his jaw and her fingers tangled into his shirt, holding him close.

It was Monday, she really couldn’t be late, but Artie’s mouth on hers, his hands on her body, was keeping her rooted. She sighed as his lips moved from her mouth to her jaw and up to her ear.

“Don’t go,” he whispered, as the hand on her back pulled her closer.

Molly really didn’t need to be told twice as she pushed his glasses up into his hair and brought his mouth back to hers.

It was only when her phone went off that she realized what time it was. She needed to get to work, there was too much to do on Monday mornings.

“Shit,” she cursed, pushing Artie off of her and picking up her purse. “Baby I really have to go, I’ll see you tonight.”

Artie grabbed her hand as she walked pass, and pulled her back into his arms again. Molly glanced at the door as he squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead. “I love you Molly.”

He let her go and Molly rushed to the door, glancing back only to see Artie staring at her. She smiled as she walked out the door, she was late for the first time since she lived above the shop.

“You’re late,” said Lucy, as Molly walked in the front door of the shop, Libby was already at the counter. Molly felt herself blush as Lucy waved her wand at the shipment of boxes in the middle of the floor.

“I need to talk to you,” said Molly, as she headed to the back room, Lucy following after her.

“Libby, start putting this away,” said Lucy, before she walked into the back room. Molly sat on one of the packed boxes, while Lucy sat at her desk.

“Artie got asked to play for England,” Molly told her sister, “and he needs to be in Berlin from the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth.”

“Molly,” said Lucy, rubbing her stomach, “I don’t know.”

“Our last day of the month is that Saturday, and it’s inventory,” said Molly, already she knew that it was going to be a long day. “I’ve already talked to Mason and Libby about pulling some extra shifts and getting more responsibilities. We’ve been talking about having Libby help with inventory, and I think that this month might be the best time to start that.”

“Molly, I have a Healer’s appointment that Tuesday,” said Lucy, turning in her chair to look at the small calendar hanging by her desk. It had all of the important shop information, along with all of Lucy’s Healer appointments.

“The portkey for Berlin leaves at ten that morning,” said Molly, already putting together a plan. She knew that Lucy liked to get her Healer appointments out of the way early. “I can come around and open the shop, Mason will be fine until you can come in.”

“That’s such a long week,” whined Lucy, as she reached forward and circled the dates Molly had told her. “But if it’s really that important, I can do it.”

“Just think of it as your last long week before Baby L comes,” Molly told Lucy, sure that she was rolling her eyes at Molly’s smile. “Artie is going to be so happy.”

“Just remind him that if he ever hurts you, then I’ll kill him, pregnant or not,” said Lucy and Molly giggled.

“I can do that,” said Molly, standing up to hug her sister. “Just think of how much you love me.”

“You’re lucky you’re my sister,” said Lucy as Molly let go of her.

“What are you even doing here?” asked Molly, Mondays were Lucy’s day off.

“I was worried when I didn’t hear anything from you yesterday, and then Libby called me because you were late and didn’t pick up your phone when she texted or called,” said Lucy, and Molly could hear the worry in her voice.

“I went to visit Louis and meet Navya, before going back home to talk to Artie,” Molly told her, sitting back down on the boxes. “We had a lot to talk about.”

“I told him about my miscarriages,” said Lucy as she held her stomach, “he told me that I needed to tell Devon.”

“That’s because you _do_ need to tell him, Lucy,” said Molly, she had been the one that held Lucy as her body gave up on her possible children. “I’ve been telling you that for years.”

“I know,” said Lucy quietly, avoiding Molly’s eyes. “I just don’t want him to worry, I want to have more children after this one.”

Molly nodded, though she wasn’t sure that she could handle Lucy being pregnant again. She had started to calm down in the last month, her emotions evening out as she got closer to her due date.

“What about you and Artie? I’m sure you made up last night, the hickey on your neck is proof of that,” said Lucy and Molly felt her face and ear and neck all turn red as she took the small mirror Lucy kept on her desk from her sister. Right in the middle of her neck was a perfect circle, Molly plunged her hand into her purse and started to look for her foundation.

“I don’t think we’ll be having children anytime soon, but hopefully we’ll at least talk about starting a family in the next year,” said Molly as she carefully applied cover up to the bruise on her neck. “Ideally, I want to be pregnant by this time next year.”

“Wow,” said Lucy as Molly handed her the mirror. “As if having a baby is that easy.”

“The second you started trying to get pregnant you had problems,” Molly reminded her sister. “You got pregnant twice before without even thinking about it. And to think that Weasley’s have a reputation for getting pregnant quickly.”

Lucy rolled her eyes and stood up from her seat, her stomach making her balance off. Molly rushed forward and steadied her, before they headed back into the storefront.

Libby had finished putting away the order, and was back at the counter, lazily flipping through a copy of _Witch Weekly_.

“I’m going to get going,” said Lucy, hugging Molly, “I’m happy that things are back to normal, and don’t worry about the deposit, I’ll drop it off before I go home.”

“Thank you,” said Molly, smiling at her sister and leading her to the door, “for everything.”

~`~

Artie went back to bed after Molly left, his head was spinning after kissing Molly again, every nerve in his body was a live wire.

Except now he was divorcing her, he had signed her name on the papers he had drawn up. He had decided that they were done, he had decided that they weren’t going to work out, he had decided that he didn’t want her anymore.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pulling on his hair. “I’ve ruined everything.”

He jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly, before running out the door. He needed to talk to someone, he needed to talk to someone who wasn’t involved in his and Molly’s relationship.

He apparated just outside of the Hogwarts gates, it was still chilly up there compared to London. Artie rubbed his arms as he hurried up the path to the castle, he had kept up a correspondence with Maggie since seeing her at Christmas. He had needed to come up to see her anyways, she had just had her fourth child a few weeks ago.

It felt strange to walk around the familiar halls of Hogwarts and to not be in his Hufflepuff school uniform. He walked up to the hospital wing, where he could hear laughing and the sound of small feet slapping against the stone floor.

“Maggie?” called Artie as he looked around, Collin, Maggie’s only son, ran up to Artie and hugged his legs.

“Hi!” said Collin, before he ran back to the train set in the middle of the room.

“Artie? What are you doing here?” asked Maggie, as she walked out of the matron’s office.

“I came to see you,” Artie told her, she looked exhausted, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head and in a shirt that was obviously Al’s. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Oh,” said Maggie, before she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the office. “I am going insane here. Four kids under the age of five, with three still breastfeeding is not fun to deal with.”

Artie looked around the office, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He saw one of her daughters asleep in a crib by her desk, where she sat at tiredly.

“That’s the new one,” said Maggie, her voice softening as she looked at her youngest. “Cecilia Rose.”

“I take it Rose and Scorpius are godparents then?” asked Artie as he looked at the little girl. She had dark hair, just like Al and Collin.

“Yeah, but that’s because we ran out of siblings,” said Maggie with a smile, “Carson is Collin’s godfather, then James and Lily are Aly’s, and Amelia and William are Cassie’s. Plus it was Al’s turn to pick the godparents because he didn’t get the chance to argue with me about Collin.”

“Well that must’ve been fun,” said Artie as he leaned against the door frame.

“I like Rose and Scorpius too, so it works out,” said Maggie as she pushed a curl out of her face. “But what did you want to talk to me about? You seem pretty upset.”

“I signed the divorce papers,” Artie told her, not meeting her eyes, “for Molly, and then I mailed them off last night.”

“You signed her name?” asked Maggie, and Artie nodded, he felt so stupid. “What the _fuck,_ Artie?”

“I know,” said Artie, sitting on the floor and pulling his knees into his chest. “I don’t know why I keep pushing her away.”

“You love her right?” asked Maggie, rolling her chair over to him, and Artie lifted his head up to look at her. With her red curls starting to fall out of her bun and her brown eyes and pale freckly face, she looked remarkably like Molly, and he only knew one answer to her question.

“Yes.”

“Then you need to fix this Artie,” said Maggie, rolling away from him. “You need to tell her, Artie.”

Artie nodded as he felt something stab his shoulder. He turned around and there was Collin, he stood at the same eye level as Artie and he was looking at him very intensely.

“Do you play Quidditch with Uncle James?” asked Collin, as he held a toy broom. “Because mummy said that you did.”

“I do,” said Artie, there was something in the way he scrunched up his eyebrows that reminded him of Maggie. Collin was the perfect combination of his parents, even if he looked just like his father.

“Can you play with me then?” asked Collin, holding out a Quaffle to Artie.

“Umm,” said Artie, turning back to Maggie, who just nodded at him. Obviously their conversation was done, it reminded him of when they were back in school. Once Maggie said her piece, she was done. “Okay.”

He followed Collin out into the hospital room, and let him throw the Quaffle at him, dramatically letting him get the ball pass him. Artie had found out very quickly, that Collin was just as hyperactive as his cousin Jason and Rose’s son, Hermes. He was a very good Chaser though, he knew how to do a pretty good fake out and he was fast enough to pass the ball to himself, even if his aim was a bit off.

Collin would make a great Chaser someday, though Artie could definitely see him being a Seeker too. He had the frame for it, even more than his grandfather Harry.

“Good shot Collin!” called a voice from behind them, and Artie turned to see Al walking towards them with his twin daughters in his arms. Artie couldn’t tell them apart quite yet, they were only just under a year old.

Artie took the Quaffle that Al handed him, he was starting to get annoyed with having to run down the hall to grab the Quaffle. Al smiled at Artie and walked straight to the office, coming out a moment later without his daughters.

“Collin, why don’t you go play with your Christmas train set,” suggest Al as Artie got to his feet. “Artie and I need to talk about some boring grown up things.”

“Okay daddy,” said Collin with a big smile as he flew himself down to the trainset on the other side of the ward.

“Come on,” said Al, and Artie followed after him as he stopped back into Maggie’s office and took baby Cecilia from her.

Artie followed after Al as they started walking away from the hospital wing and through the halls. “I heard that you and Molly got into a fight,” said Al as he held Cecilia against his chest.

Artie didn’t really know what to say, Al was the same age as him, he was a former Auror turned Hogwarts Professor, who was married with four kids. They were both only twenty-one, but their lives couldn’t be more different.

“We’ve moved pass that,” Artie told him, as they passed by a group of students, who all smiled and cooed at baby Cecilia in Al’s arms. “We’re working on going to Berlin at the end of the month.”

“Right before the beach trip?” asked Al, shaking his head, “that’s insane Artie.”

“I got asked to play for England and the game I’m playing in is in Berlin,” explained Artie, pausing as a group of girls came up to them.

“Professor Potter,” said one of the girls, she was a Hufflepuff Prefect, her badge standing out against her robes, “is this Cecilia? You haven’t brought her to class yet.”

“Cece doesn’t quite like to be away from Maggie for very long yet,” Artie told her, holding Cecilia close to his chest. “But by next term, she’ll be part of the review day crew.”

“She looks just like you professor,” said one of the other girls, smiling at the baby, who just blinked at her. “Like Collin too.”

“Really?” asked Al, looking down at his daughter, “I think she looks more like Maggie, but that’s just me.”

“Well she definitely has your hair,” said the first girl with a giggle, “hopefully it’s not as messy though.”

Artie looked at Al’s hair, it was shaggy and messy, it went well with his growing beard, but a trim really wouldn’t hurt him. He remembered Al always looking impeccable during their school years, but he had definitely let go of some of his control over the last few years.

It was probably the children, or Maggie, or leaving his job with the Aurors, or even all three. Artie wasn’t ready for that, children and the messiness they created, he had a hard enough time with Molly.

Cecilia squirmed in Al’s arms, and they kept moving, saying goodbye to the girls before Al lead Artie farther into the castle. Artie had no idea where they were going, he didn’t know the castle as well as he used to.

“Berlin sounds like a lot,” said Al, as they walked into a small room. There was a bed in one corner and a crib in another, there were toys scattered all over the floor and a small book shelf filled with children’s books. It must’ve been the Potter children’s bedroom.

Al walked over to a rocking chair in the corner and sat down, careful to not jostle his daughter. He started rocking with Cecilia in his arms.

“Not really,” said Artie as he leaned against a changing table.

“I don’t think any of us have ever been that far away from the family,” said Al, looking up at Artie, “even up here it’s weird to not get a random visit from my brother or Rose or someone.”

Artie nodded, he really wouldn’t mind getting farther away from Molly’s family. He didn’t quite like how used to he was getting to having Lucy and Devon around, or hanging out with James as much as he did, or even going to the Burrow for family dinner every Sunday.

“But what do I know,” said Al, looking back down at his daughter. “I left everything to come up here with just Maggie and the kids, including the family.”

Artie didn’t quite know what Al was getting at, but he could see that Al and Maggie were happy together. They were away from everyone in their own little world.

“I don’t know if Molly and I could do that,” Artie told him, mostly because he knew that Molly couldn’t manage herself without Lucy.

“I didn’t either, but we have plenty of support up here, Neville sometimes takes Collin off our hands when he brings Gus with him, and Cho and Mariah love the girls. Minerva doesn’t care when I bring them with me to class, as long as they’re not a distraction,” said Al with a large smile, “the students love them too, I give a lot of extra credit to my sixth and seventh years for babysitting.”

“That must be nice,” said Artie, he would never get that luxury if he had children.

“Well we don’t have any family to watch them, though it’s not without trying, Maggie’s youngest brother William is a sixth year,” said Al standing up from his seat at the rocking chair, “but we can’t ask too much of him with everything he has going on.”

“At least she still has him though.”

“Well I’m sorry I never told you about your brother,” said Al as they left the nursery.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Artie, stopping in the doorway.

Al turned around, Cecilia now asleep in his arms. She looked so peaceful and happy in his arm, her little chest moving with each breath. “I signed off on your brother’s death certificate, I was supposed to tell you about his death.”

Artie felt all of the anger that he felt in the days before, come back to him. He wanted to punch Al in his stupid face, his newborn be damn. “Are you _fucking_ kidding me?”

“It was one of the last things I did before I left the Aurors,” said Al, as he started walking away. “I thought that you deserved to hurt like how you hurt Molly. I still stand by that decision, you don’t just sign someone’s name on a divorce contract.”

Artie stared after Al’s retreating form, it suddenly became clear that he still wasn’t welcomed in the Weasley family.

~`~

Molly smiled to herself as she walked in through the front door to her and Artie’s flat. Her conversation with Lucy that morning running through her head, she was going to go to Berlin with Artie if the next few weeks were to go well.

“Hey,” she said, smiling at Artie as she hugged him upon entering the kitchen. “I’m going to Berlin.”

“What?” asked Artie looking down at her, Molly smiled wider up at him.

“I talked to Lucy this morning, and we came up with a way for me to come to Berlin with you,” Molly told him, as she pulled away and took his hands in hers. “I’m going to get to watch you play for England, Artie.”

She felt giddy as he looked down at her, a smile slowly pulling at his lips as he processed her words. He leaned down and kissed her softly, his hands pulling out of hers to hold her face. Molly kissed him back, her hands bunching up the fabric of his shirt as she held him close to her.

She was going to Berlin with Artie.

It would be the farthest she ever went from home, the farthest either of them would be from England. Part of her hoped that Marcus Finnley would see how great of a player Artie was and sign him on to play for England fulltime. She wouldn’t mind going all around the world, as long as she had Artie with her.

“That’s,” said Artie, pushing her hair out of her face, “so amazing my Love.”

Molly smiled as Artie pressed his forehead against hers, she let go of his shirt and felt him put his hands on his hips, holding her close. He moved his head down to her shoulder, and she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Are you okay Babe?” asked Molly, as she moved her hands down his shoulders and back, rubbing softly.

“Just tired,” Artie mumbled into her neck. “I went up to see Maggie and meet Cecilia.”

“Oh,” said Molly, as Artie pulled away, and she smiled up at him. “How was that?”

“Good,” said Artie, with a soft smile. “I had a lot of fun, Collin and I played Quidditch. I also think that some of Al’s students have a crush on him.”

“Lily told me that a lot of his students apparently have a crush on him,” Molly told him, as she pulled him out of the kitchen and into their bedroom. She pushed him down to the bed, and climbed in with him, holding him close to her.

She didn’t often get to be the big spoon, usually if Artie wanted to be held or to relax, he put his head on her lap when they sat together on the couch. Molly loved to run her fingers through his hair, it was so soft and silky; she loved to play with it.

“This is nice,” whispered Artie, as Molly unbuttoned his shirt, and ran her hands down his bare chest.

“You never let me hold you,” Molly whispered, before pressing a kiss to his neck. “I want you to feel loved too, Baby.”

Artie nodded, and Molly put her head in between his shoulder blades. She held him tightly in her arms, and wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt more like a backpack than anything else, but Artie was putty in her hands and she loved it.

“Molly,” mumbled Artie, his voice thick and drowsy.

“Yeah?” she asked, feeling just as tired as his voice sounded.

“I think the pizza is burnt,” mumbled Artie, and Molly began giggling as she let go of him. She rolled over and sat up, before getting to her feet and running into the kitchen. The pizza in the oven was black and burnt, and the smell of it was making her stomach turn.

“Oh fuck,” Molly said to herself as she emptied her stomach into the kitchen sink. She hated getting sick, hated feeling out of control of her body, she had spent years with no control over her body.

“Well damn,” said Artie as he pulled her hair out of her face. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Molly had no clue what had come over her, but the smell of burnt cheese and pepperoni was making her stomach roll over and over.

“I don’t know what this is,” Molly moaned before sticking her head back into the sink.

“It’s okay Angel,” said Artie as he rubbed her back. “I’ll just make something else.”

Molly wasn’t sure she could really stomach anything right now, but every time she opened her mouth, her stomach rolled over. She had no idea what was coming over her, but she needed to get away from the kitchen.

“Let go,” she told him, and once he did, she ran back to the bedroom. The burnt smell had started to fill the apartment, but with a quick wave of her wand, the air around her freshened up. She felt like she could breathe again as she walked into the bathroom and brushed her teeth.

When she returned to the kitchen, Artie had already vanished the burnt pizza and opened the window, getting fresh air into the flat.

“Are you okay?” asked Artie, as he pulled her into his arms, Molly rested her head against his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

“I don’t know,” groaned Molly, burring her face into his shoulder, her stomach still hurt, but she did feel slightly better.

“Maybe dinner is too much for us tonight,” said Artie with a chuckle. “Should we see if your parents will take us, or…?”

“No,” said Molly quietly, “let’s just go to bed.”

“You had so much energy when you came home,” whispered Artie, his lips at her ear and his hands rubbing her back. “Are you sure that you don’t want to eat?”

“Not with my parents,” Molly told him, looking up at him. “Maybe at the diner or something?”

“We haven’t had a date night in a while,” said Artie, and Molly nodded against his shoulder. “Let’s do something nice.”

Molly didn’t quite feel like going dancing or flying, which is what they usually ended up doing after they had dinner on their ‘date nights’. She pulled away from him and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She didn’t have the energy to fix her makeup, but she did feel better once her face was clean.

“You look better,” said Artie as he grabbed his toothbrush and the toothpaste, before pressing up beside her at the sink. “Any ideas on where to eat tonight?”

“Should probably go see Romulus,” said Molly, as she clipped her hair back. Artie nodded, his toothbrush in his mouth.

Molly couldn’t help but smile, she really couldn’t believe how comfortable they were with each other. When they moved in together, Molly would’ve never had even allowed him to come into the bathroom the same time she was in there.

Except for when they showered together.

She left him in the bathroom as she went to put her shoes on, her stomach was a mess of nerves for some reason. She was sure it was just because she had been sick earlier.

Artie wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked out of their apartment building and to the side alley to apparate. They appeared just around the side of the Dragon’s Egg Inn, and walked in the front door.

“Hey guys!” said a voice Molly would know anywhere. Behind the front desk was one of Molly’s godsisters, Becca Havings-Lovegood. She was the same age as Rose and Al and Artie, and Molly had grown up with her at family dinners and at her cousins’ sides all of her life.

Or at least since Rose and Becca were four and had met at preschool.

“Hi Becca,” said Molly, as Becca came out from behind the front desk. Molly hugged her with a bit of difficulty, Becca’s baby bump more than just a ‘bump’; she was pregnant with twins. “How have you been?”

“Good, Lysander and I are really excited for these two to come along,” said Becca, rubbing her stomach. “Though I really wished that I got pregnant about three months earlier.”

“And come back just in time for wedding season?” asked Molly, she had helped out when she was younger with some of the weddings, carrying trays of appetizers and filling up water glasses at receptions. She didn’t want to be in Becca’s shoes of planning and orchestrating the whole event.

“Oh it’s the best time of year,” said Becca with a large smile, “I love working the busy season, always have.”

Molly smiled as Artie grabbed her hand, pulling her along with him, and away from Becca. “Sorry Becca, but I think our table is ready.”

“I’ll see you guys later, enjoy your dinner,” said Becca with another large smile as they walked away.

Molly looked back over her shoulder at Becca as they walked into the dining room, something in her head was clicking into place.

~`~

Artie didn’t think of himself as a dancer, sure when he flew, he felt like he was dancing with the air, but actual dancing was something else. Molly could dance, her mother had put her in dance lessons the second she could walk, her and Lucy. Even when she was sick, the pair of them would practice in Molly’s hospital room when she had the energy.

Dancing with Molly was easy though, she led the pair of them around the dancefloor, laughing as they moved.

“This was a good idea,” said Molly as they swayed together in the living room. The couch was pushed back against the wall, with the coffee table set on top. It was nice to have room to move around.

“I thought so too,” said Artie as he looked down at Molly, she looked much more comfortable now than earlier. The color had come back to her face after they ate some food, and both of them had more energy now.

“I can’t believe they didn’t have any music tonight,” said Molly as the song changed and she pulled away.

“I mean its Monday, we were like one of three tables in there,” Artie told her as she moved them into a waltz. Molly moved gracefully in his arms, while he just tried to keep up. It was reminding him of back when they were at Hogwarts together, the one year they shared while dating, and they went to parties together. Molly had a cousin in each of the four Hogwarts houses and was invited to every get together or Quidditch after party they had.

“And now that Remus has a kid he doesn’t hang around and play the piano all the time,” said Molly as she spun them around. “Maybe we can go back later in the week.”

“Maybe I should take a dance class too,” mused Artie as he stepped on Molly’s foot, again. This was the fourth or fifth time that he had stepped on her, luckily, they were barefoot. “Sorry.”

“I can teach you,” said Molly with a smile as she brushed off his apology. “Or Lily can, she used to teach a ballet class when she was in school.”

“To four year olds,” said Artie, remembering Lily talking about her young students.

“You would think being as graceful as you are in the air, that you would be even more graceful on the ground. I mean even James knows how to dance,” said Molly with a smile as he looked down at his feet. Molly was moving much faster than him, and he knew that the waltz was a slow dance.

“You know that I don’t know how to dance,” he told her as she laughed, “I didn’t go to dance lessons or had siblings to practice with.”

“I know,” said Molly, with a giggle. “I’m just teasing you Babe.”

Artie smiled as he relaxed and let her lead them around the living room, she slowed down her pace and they began moving in sync together. The music and noise around them seemed to drift away with Molly in his arms, he couldn’t remember the last time they had done something like this.

“Let’s go flying,” said Artie, as Molly put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

“Isn’t it a little late?” asked Molly, and Artie looked at his watch, it was half pass ten, and he needed to be up at six in the morning.

“That wouldn’t have stopped you four years ago,” Artie whispered in her ear. Back in school, they would go flying almost every night together. They would sneak out in the middle of the night and go down to the Quidditch pitch, Molly would climb onto the back of his broom and they would _fly_.

He could almost feel Molly’s arms wrapped around his stomach as he thought about them back in school together.

“Four years ago you weren’t about to play for England,” said Molly picking her head off of his shoulder and smiling up at him. “Maybe tomorrow night.”

Artie frowned as he looked at her, but quickly realized that she was exhausted. She had bags under her eyes and he knew that there was no way that she would agree to going out again.

“You need to get to bed,” he told her as he held her cheek in his hand. “You look exhausted.”

“Thank Merlin I get to sleep in tomorrow,” she mumbled against his hand as she turned her head to kiss his hand.

“I’ll try to be quiet for you,” he told her, it was the least he could do, as she was always as quiet as possible for him. Though he had to admit, it would be fun to wake her up with a good morning kiss as she always did for him.

“Don’t worry about it,” she told him as he led her to their bedroom, and climbing into bed with her.

Artie kissed her forehead, once they were cuddled up against each other. He didn’t want to let her go.


End file.
